In the sermon 'Summary of a Tender, Serious Letter' by Jason Dohm, key themes from 1 Thessalonians are explored. Dohm underscores that the Word of God is a birthright for those in Christ, emphasizing the importance of treasuring and sharing it. The sermon discusses the historical context of Macedonia and Thessalonica, highlighting their significance in spreading the Gospel. The Thessalonians are commended for their faith, love, and patience, which serve as proof of their election by God. Dohm reflects on the defense of the Apostles' ministry and the robust reception of the Gospel by the Thessalonians, despite persecution. The sermon outlines practical exhortations for sanctification, brotherly love, and preparation for the return of Christ. It contrasts 'children of light' and 'children of darkness,' urging believers to live as warriors prepared for Christ's return. The sermon closes with a reminder of God's manifold love and the transformative power of His Word.

This from the very end of the letter which was last week's text, I charge you by the Lord that this epistle be read to all the holy brethren. If you're in Christ then the Word of God is your birthright. You have a right to it by inheritance. If you're one of all the holy brethren, then Paul wants to charge somebody and make you take a vow before God that this letter would be read to you because you're one of the Lord's and He's given this gift to His people so it's a pleasure and it's our right to have an extended public reading of the Word of God from time to time. We should be doing that.

So I just want to encourage you when five chapters are read at once sometimes my attention span is stretched. A little bit by that but to hang in there as best as you can and to savor your birthright. Just enjoy your birthright. You have a right to this word. God has given it to you if you're in Christ and it should be a treasure to us, so let's treasure it.

Please be seated. The first epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Thessalonians, chapter one. Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy to the Church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers, remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father.

Knowing, beloved brethren, your election by God. For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit, and in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake. And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction with joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became examples to all in Macedonia and Achaia who believe. For from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place. Your faith toward God has gone out so that we do not need to say anything.

For they themselves declare, concerning us, what manner of entry we had to you and how you turn to God from idols to serve the living and true God and to wait for his Son from heaven whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come. Chapter 2. For you yourselves know, brethren, that our coming to you was not in vain, but even after we had suffered before and were spitefully treated at Philippi, as you know, We were bold in our God to speak to you the gospel of God in much conflict. For our exhortation did not come from error or uncleanness, nor was it in deceit. But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men but God who tests our hearts.

For neither at any time did we use flattering words as you know, nor a cloak for covetousness God is witness, nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others, when we might have made demands as Apostles of Christ. But we were gentle among you, just as a nursing mother cherishes her own children, so affectionately longing for you, we were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives because you had become dear to us. For you remember brethren our labor and toil for laboring night and day that we might not be a burden to any of you we preach to you the gospel of God. You are witnesses, and God also, how devoutly and justly and blamelessly we behaved ourselves among you who believe. As you know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father does his own children, that you would walk worthy of God who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.

For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe. For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God which are in Judea, in Christ Jesus. For you also suffered the same things from your own countrymen just as they did from the Judeans who killed both the Lord Jesus and their own prophets and have persecuted us and they do not please God and are contrary to all men forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they may be saved, so as always to fill up the measure of their sins, but wrath has come upon them to the uttermost. But we brethren, having been taken away from you for a short time in presence, not in heart, endeavored more eagerly to see your face with great desire. Therefore we wanted to come to you, even I Paul, time and again, but Satan hindered us.

For what is our hope or joy or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? For you are our glory and joy. Chapter 3. Therefore, when we could no longer endure it, we thought it good to be left in Athens alone and sent Timothy our brother and minister of God and our fellow laborer in the gospel of Christ to establish you and encourage you concerning your faith.

That no one should be shaken by these afflictions for you yourselves know that we are appointed to this. For in fact we told you before when we were with you that we would suffer tribulation just as it happened and you know. For this reason when I could no longer endure it I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter had tempted you and our labor might be in vain. But now that Timothy has come to us from you and brought us good news of your faith and love and that you always have good remembrance of us greatly desiring to see us as we also to see you. Therefore brethren in all our affliction and distress we were comforted concerning you by your faith.

For now we live if you stand fast in the Lord. For What thanks can we render to God for you, for all the joy with which we rejoice for your sake before our God, night and day praying exceedingly that we may see your face and perfect what is lacking in your faith? Now may our God and Father Himself and our Lord Jesus Christ direct our way to you. And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you, so that He may establish your hearts blameless and holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints. Chapter 4.

Finally then brethren we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more just as you receive from us how you ought to walk and to please God. For you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, your sanctification, that you should abstain from sexual immorality, that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in passion of lust like the Gentiles who don't know God, that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified. For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness. Therefore, he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit.

But concerning brotherly love, you have no need that I should write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another. And indeed, you do so toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, that you increase more and more, That you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, to work with your own hands, as we commanded you. That you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing. But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.

For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first, then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore, comfort one another with these words.

Chapter 5. But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you, For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night for when they say peace and safety then sudden destruction comes upon them as labor pains upon a pregnant woman and They shall not escape But you brethren are not in darkness so that this day should overtake you as a thief. You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore, let us not sleep as others do, but let us watch and be sober.

For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. But let us who are of the day and be sober Putting on the breastplate of faith and love and as a helmet the hope of salvation For God did not appoint us to wrath But to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ who died for us that whether we wake or sleep we should live together with him. Therefore, comfort each other and edify one another just as you also are doing. We urge you brethren to recognize those who labor among you and are over you and the Lord and admonish you and to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake. Be at peace among yourselves.

Now we exhort you brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the faint-hearted, uphold the weak, and be patient with all. See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good, both for yourselves and for all. Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Do not quench the spirit. Do not despise prophecies. Test all things. Hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.

Now may the peace, may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it. Brethren, pray for us. Greet all the brethren with a holy kiss. I charge you by the Lord that this epistle be read to all the holy brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

Amen. Let's pray. These words now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved at the coming, at the coming of you, Lord Jesus Christ. Oh Lord, we say come, we say come. Those who know you in our souls and are filled with your peace to you we say thank you God.

Thank you for this peace in the soul that you've given. When so many years of my life I ran from you. Oh God, to know this peace surpasses all understanding. And that's what I want to pray for now, Father, is that every soul in this room would see these words, would hear these words, and you would open up their understanding as you did those walking on the road to Emmaus, God that you would open their understanding to see that you are who you said you are. You are God.

You are the Holy One. You are Messiah. You are Savior. God save souls who don't know your peace today. And now God I close by just as we read your word to love those who labor among us and who are over us and the Lord we're so thankful for our brother God we're so thankful for Jason's life being committed to you and submitted to teaching your words and leading your church.

Bless him now, God, as he comes and just begins a time to reflect on these beautiful words. Thank you, Lord. Amen. The title of the sermon this morning is a summary of a tender serious letter. I'm just picking up on the sermon title for last week, which was a tender serious farewell.

Really is that. Paul and Silvanus and Timothy have written a very tender letter. It's dripping with affection throughout, but it's also very serious. Paul and Silvanus and Timothy had been removed from Thessalonica prematurely before they had planned. They didn't get a chance to teach them everything they wanted to teach them, so now they're writing about serious things.

So I want to welcome you to the 30th sermon of our study of 1 Thessalonians. I didn't stretch it out to make the number even. Please don't accuse me of that. I'm capable of that, but I didn't do that in this case. I was looking back through the introductory sermon, and I had forgotten how interesting the history of Macedonia, this region, and the history of Thessalonica, the city in the middle of the region, was.

I just wanted to dig up a few of the highlights from the history of Macedonia and Thessalonica. In 168 BC, so we're talking about essentially 200 years before this letter is written, Rome utterly defeats Macedonia. They take 150, 000 slaves out of Macedonia. The plunder of Macedonia is so great that Roman citizens are exempt from direct taxation for a century. Isn't that amazing?

168 BC. Rome wins, Macedonia loses, so they lose 150, 000 of their citizens to slavery, and the plunder is so great, they had so many resources in this region that the plunder made it so that if you were a Roman citizen, you didn't pay taxes for the next century. Amazing wealth in Macedonia. Amazing wealth in Macedonia. About 20 years later, in 146 BC, Thessalonica is made the seat of Roman government for the region of Macedonia.

Now it's the capital and it's known as the mother of all Macedonia. That's what Thessalonica as a city is. The Romans built the Via Ignatia. Do you remember that? Or the Ignatian Way, which is a road that essentially connects Rome to what at the time was Byzantium, but it's modern Istanbul and Turkey.

It connects the western part of the empire to the eastern part of the empire so that a messenger can now get from Rome to Istanbul, Turkey, in 21 days, where it would have taken months. This is about moving armies from one side of the empire to the other. It is also great for trade, which is great for Thessalonica, which is maybe one of the most naturally advantaged ports in the world because of its position. And at the time of Paul, so now we're fast forwarding 200 years, Paul and Silvanus and Timothy probably visited in 49 AD or 50 AD, and then almost certainly wrote this letter from Corinth in 50 or 51 AD. So this is roughly 20 years after the resurrection.

Paul and Silvanus and Timothy are going there and then shortly afterwards writing a letter back to these new converts. Thessalonica has become one of the wealthiest trading centers in the Roman Empire, with a population of something like 200, 000 people. So it's not that much different from Raleigh. This is not a country town. This is a major cosmopolitan area, cosmopolitan in the sense that there are people of all kinds in Thessalonica.

There are Macedonians, there are Greeks, there are Romans, there are Jews, and there are all their gods. The Macedonians had their gods and they keep them. And the Greeks had their gods and they keep them. And the Romans had their gods and they keep them. And the Jews have their god.

And they obviously keep their god. And this isn't a problem in Thessalonica unless you insist on exclusivity. In other words, if you want to just add another God to the mantle, that's not a problem. Just put them on up there and your God can take his place on the mantle alongside all the other Greek and Roman and Macedonian gods. But if you want to sweep the mantle clean and insist that the God of the Scriptures is the only God of heaven and earth, then you're not playing nice.

And you're asking for trouble. Because Thessalonica now enjoys many, many advantages in the Roman Empire. The advantages are predicated on playing nice, keeping the peace. Exclusivity in the realm of religion is not keeping the peace. That really sets everything in context.

That's why it's such a problem when the Gospel comes to Thessalonica. The Gospel is always a problem when it comes to a new territory. Because God doesn't want to just be another God on the mantle. He insists that if you embrace Him, you sweep the mantle clean. And that's what's happening in Thessalonica.

But the biggest fact is a fact that you'll never see in any of the history books, and that is this. In the big picture of redemptive history, God is reaching out to a people that He has passed over for thousands of years. God didn't owe anyone in Macedonia or Thessalonica His mercy. He hadn't extended it to the overwhelming majority of them for thousands of years. Now here comes the gospel.

Now the grace of God is spreading like wildfire, and God Himself is sending the good news there. He is opening up a way for these sinful pagans to be reconciled to Him. As a Gentile, you should appreciate that. We owe what we are doing today to what is happening in Thessalonica. Thessalonica being on the Via Ignatia, this is one of the key reasons that the Gospel kept moving west into Europe.

So we have a direct connection and a direct interest in the history of Macedonia and Thessalonica. I'd like to reread the account from the book of Acts. So turn to Acts chapter 16. Acts chapter 16. Hopefully you're there.

I'd like to read Acts chapter 16 verses 6 through 10. Now when they had gone through Phrygia in the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the Word in Asia. They want to preach the Word in Asia? The Holy Spirit somehow, someway forbids them from doing it. Verse 7, after they had come to Mycea, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them.

So strike 2, Asia, no, Bithynia, no. The Holy Spirit prevents them again. Now verse 8, So passing by Mycea, they came down to Troas, and a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, Come over to Macedonia and help us. Now, after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them.

Now verse 17. So Just a comment on that. You can see Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy aren't stumbling into Macedonia. They are absolutely sent. They intended to go to Asia, the Holy Spirit forbids them.

They intended to go to Mycenae, The Holy Spirit forbids them, and then the vision to Paul, and then they go. So God is sending them into Macedonia and to Thessalonica. Now chapter 7. I'm going to read 1 through the first part of 10. 17.

Did I say 17? Chapter 17. Now When they had passed through Anthipolis in Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. Then Paul, as his custom was, went into them and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, saying, This Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ. Some of them were persuaded, and a great multitude of the devout Greeks, and not a few of the leading women, joined Paul and Silas.

But the Jews who were not persuaded, becoming envious, took some of the evil men from the marketplace, and gathering a mob, set all the city in an uproar, and attacked the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people. But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some brethren to the rulers of the city, crying out, These who have turned the world upside down have come here too. Jason has harbored them. And these are all acting contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying, There is another king, Jesus. They troubled the crowd and the rulers of the city when they heard these things.

When they had taken security from Jason and the rest, they let them go. Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. Having been chased out of town and separated from their new converts by persecution, they write back, and that's why we've had these 30 sermons, is to consider the things that these disciple makers have written to the disciples of Jesus. Let's pray. Our God, I thank you for Christ.

I thank you that you have spread the good news of reconciliation far and wide in the world so that it has reached us here in America. That people who you passed over for hundreds and thousands of years and left them to their own folly, their own rebellion, their own wickedness. You left them to happily destroy themselves, walking in their own ways, but you have poured out your grace. Thank you God. I thank you for our time in 1 Thessalonians and I pray that these truths would stick with us forever.

May it be so in Jesus' name, Amen. So what I'd like to do, and I don't intend to take a long time to do it, is to touch on each chapter, to give you some of the highlights of the chapter, hopefully to give you an accurate summary of what's in each chapter. Hit some highlights and give you a verse or two that kind of gives the sense of the chapter. So here we go, chapter one. Greetings to and thanksgiving for the Thessalonian believers.

They greet them, this is Paul and Silvanus and Timothy. That is who our authors were, Paul the great apostle and his son in the faith, we learn that elsewhere in the New Testament, Timothy, and then Silvanus. We didn't know much about Silvanus or Silas, He's called Silas in Acts, and Silvanus here and in 2 Thessalonians, but it's the same man. We learn in Acts 15 that he was a leading man among the Jews. So he was a big deal in the church in Jerusalem, where all the apostles were.

This is a significant man of God. In Acts 16, he is called a prophet. So, he is really Paul's equal in many ways. These are our authors. They say that they are always giving thanks for the Thessalonians.

They've been separated, they didn't mean to be separated, they've been separated by persecution, and now they are thinking back on their time there. And the thinking back on that time just fills them with thanksgiving for these new believers that God has poured out His grace on them and now the disciple makers love the disciples. So they are always thinking back with thanksgiving about these fruitful new converts. That is probably the phrase that summarizes chapter one the best. Fruitful new converts.

When you read chapter one and you think that these are people who have probably been in the faith from three to six months, you say, wow, because you know Paul and Silvanus and Timothy aren't flatterers, So their testimony about these new converts must be true. And you say, wow, how long have I been in the faith? Could someone accurately describe me the way the Thessalonians are described in 1 Thessalonians? It's sort of humiliating to read chapter 1. To know how much progress they made, how fast.

I think persecution helps with that actually. It sobers you up and makes you decide what you're about. They were the beneficiaries of persecution as we find out in chapter 2. But we know that they are fruitful because Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, thinking back on the Thessalonians, they say, your faith was producing work, and your love was producing labor, and your hope was producing patience, so that we know that you're really elect. Isn't that interesting?

That's their look back. Like, hey, you have these Christian virtues that are producing real things in your life. So we can tell that you really are the elect of God. Now listen to this in chapter 1. Hopefully you're back to 1 Thessalonians.

So that you can put your finger here and there as we work through. In chapter 1, look at verse 8. For from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place. Your faith toward God has gone out, so that we do not need to say anything. Does that sound like new converts to you?

Like their faith has gone out. It couldn't be contained in Thessalonica. Nope, not even with 200, 000 people. Couldn't be contained in Macedonia. Couldn't be contained in Macedonia and Achaia.

It's going out to every place. Does that sound like a new church of new converts to you? Me neither. And yet that is how they're described. And here's what I think we get from this.

When a person truly turns to God from idols to serve the living and true God, that's how it's stated in chapter one, there is a love for God that works outward. There is a love for God that works outward. If you've been serving idols, by the way, they grind you into powder. The idol is never your friend. You think you'll serve the idol and you'll get the benefits from that idol, but you get nothing but trouble and heartache from that.

So they abandon that and they serve the living and true God And they have found rivers of living water. And so they can't keep quiet. And Thessalonica is not big enough for them. Neither is Macedonia. Neither is Macedonia and Achaia.

It's astounding. And It's humiliating in a helpful way to read about these new converts and to see this love for God that is burning so brightly that they have to tell the world about Jesus. Jesus. Chapter 2 is a defense of their ministry and a reflection on the Thessalonians' reception of the Gospel. In verses 1-12, they defend the gospel they preached.

That's what they did. They came to Thessalonica, they were preaching men, and they defend the things that they were preaching. They said it wasn't from error, it wasn't from uncleanness, it wasn't from deceit. And Then, after they defend the doctrine, they defend the lives that they lived there. In other words, Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy were there probably three to six months, and they established patterns of lives among these people.

So they can point back and they can say, you know, We can call you as a witness that we didn't do this from covetousness. We labored night and day to provide for ourselves so you could tell we weren't in it for the money. And we acted like spiritual parents. Not people who were milking you for your resources. Right?

Pestle and Ike's is the place of resources. We weren't there for that. We were like a nursing mother and how we were gentle with you. We were like a father and how we exhorted you. We were your spiritual parents.

We acted like spiritual parents. And yes, we brought you the Gospel, but we didn't just bring you the Gospel. We were well pleased to share our own lives with you. Amen to that. May we be a people who don't just go out with the Gospel and stand on the other side of the bullhorn, but we come with lives that are open and ready to be shared, and we are well pleased to not just preach the Gospel of Jesus, but to live it out and to welcome people into our lives and to share our lives with them.

I think we'd be following in the example of Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy if we lived that way. Now look in chapter 2, verse 13, this is where it shifts towards their reflection on the Thessalonians' reception of the Gospel. For this reason we also thank God without ceasing. When you received the Word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the Word of man, but as it is in truth, the Word of God which also effectively works in you who believe. That might be the most power punch verse in all of 1 Thessalonians.

There is so much there, but the first thing that is there is that God gets the credit when someone hears preaching and recognizes that it's the Word of God. Every religion has preaching. Every philosophy has evangelists. Only God can give a hearer a recognition that this isn't just another philosophy or another worldview or another among many religions. God is speaking to me through this preaching.

When that happens, when someone hears preaching and says, This is truth, eternal, transcendent truth from the God who made all things, only God, it means that God has been there and at work and he ought to be thanked for it. And in the same verse they declare that when you believe this Word works in you effectively. There's no other option. If you really believe, then there's an effective working of that Word in your life. And in this case, God made them able to endure persecution.

So we have proof positive that they really believed. What's the proof positive? The Word is working in you effectively. They persecute you, but you won't turn loose of the Gospel. Why is that?

Because there's been an effective working of the Word of God in your life. And it proves that there's something legitimate there. Because the people who just act like they embrace the Gospel, they wither up. They wither up when persecution comes because of the Word. Chapter 3.

Chapter 3. They speak of sending Timothy to go and bring back a report. 2 ends with, We really miss you. We've been removed in body, but not in heart. Chapter 3 begins with, what are we doing about that?

We've been prevented from all coming back together, but we know there's a way to continue ministry, and so we are sending Timothy back. Paul and Silvanus remained in Athens, and they sent Timothy to go back and minister among the Thessalonians. Paul has a concern that is expressed in chapter 3, And that is that these new converts had been tempted by the tempter so that all their labor, all their blood, sweat, and tears in Thessalonica had been in vain. That was Paul's concern. But Back comes Timothy with a report, and it is a good report that their faith is flourishing, and that their love is flourishing, and that these new converts are longing to see Paul and Silvanus and Timothy just as Paul and Silvanus and Timothy are longing to see their new converts.

It's two-way love. They speak in the letter about how encouraged they were from the report, and what a source of vigor this good report has been. They essentially say, We're alive! We got this report and we're alive again. Our spiritual vigor has been renewed by knowing that our spiritual children are walking in the faith and are flourishing in love.

Chapter 3 ends with a blessing and a benediction of sorts. It's not closing out the letter, but it's closing out this first portion of the letter. Chapter 1, 2, and 3 are all completely devoted to thinking back on what has happened and talking about how things are in the present. And it's going to close out here in this benediction at the end of chapter 3, and then it's going to completely shift into, so if you're dividing the book into two parts, That's how you absolutely have to divide it. Chapter 1, 2, and 3, looking back on the past and thinking about the present, and then chapters 4 and 5 get really practical and give exhortation and teaching and commands.

So I'd like to read this blessing and benediction that happens right in the middle of the book. Look at these last verses of chapter 3, verses 11-13. Now may our God and Father Himself and our Lord Jesus Christ direct our way to you. And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you, so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints." Here in this blessing and benediction We get one of the great themes of the letter, increasing and abounding. How many times do we see increase more and more?

Abound more in this letter. It's about four or five times. I should have counted. But That's really one of the great themes of the letter. Okay, you're doing well.

Increase! You're following the Lord. Now abound in it! This is a letter about growth. This is a letter not of rebuke at all.

In many ways, it's a letter of commendation where Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy are marveling at how well these new converts are doing and how far they've come so fast. And Yet, in the middle of the praise that they have for the new converts, they are saying, increase more, abound more, go further with the Lord, grow in the Lord. This has been really one of the helpful things for me that has come out of 1 Thessalonians is just the thought of. More. Go further.

Go faster. There's so much more territory to be taken in our lives for the Lord Jesus Christ that we should have this burning desire to increase and abound as we're being exhorted to. Chapter 4. Chapter 4 they began practical exhortations and commands. Now they begin to teach them.

This makes perfect sense. They have been separated from the new converts. They didn't get to tell them everything they wanted to tell them. So now they are writing back to continue the instruction that they were actually giving in person when they could be there in person. We Get right to the point in chapter 4, verse 3.

For this is the will of God, your sanctification. Now we know what the will of God for our lives is. It is that we would grow in Christ-likeness. Brothers and sisters, that is all sanctification is. It's growing to be more and more and more like Jesus.

We're not very much like Him. Jesus is the picture of perfection. We're not the picture of perfection. And so, sanctification is simply growing in the faith. Learning to love the things that God loves and to hate the things that God hates.

And becoming a little more like Jesus Christ every day. That's sanctification. That's God's will for the lives of the Thessalonians and the lives of every saint between then and now, and your life and mine if we're in Christ. That is His will. Our authors proceed to talk about a critical area of set-apartness.

That's what sanctification means literally, is to be set apart for Him. My life, I used to have the freedom to just do whatever when I was living in rebellion. I had freedom to do whatever I want, whenever I wanted. I gave myself that freedom by rebelling against God Almighty, but now I'm not like that anymore. Now God has put His hand on me and He's set me apart for Himself.

I'm not free to go do whatever I want, whenever I want anymore, I'm set apart for Him. So the beginning of verse 3 tells us that the will of God is our sanctification and then the second half of verse three gets right to one very practical area of sanctification or set-apartness which is sexual immorality. This shouldn't surprise us. In a city of 200, 000 pagans, where sexual immorality is actually built into many other religious exercises, that when Paul and Silvanus and Timothy start talking about sanctification, that the first words out of their mouth after that is, abstain from sexual immorality. I think it's a stretch to say that we live among hundreds of thousands of pagans, people who have not embraced Christ.

So something that should be very top of mind for us is to abstain from sexual immorality. It's only getting more so, friends and neighbors. When you look at the billboards and the commercials and the, and the, and the, and the, you make up the list. We know that we're not moving away from sexual immorality as a culture. We're running headlong into it.

So as we think about our sanctification, abstain from sexual immorality is an important place to start. They actually say that no one should take advantage of or defraud their brother in this matter. This is a way that we can really harm each other, is to not keep ourselves back from any hint of sexual immorality. In the middle section of chapter 4, we have brotherly love. And They say, you have no need that we should write to you, and then they write to them on brotherly love.

Why do they write to them? Not because they don't know brotherly love, but to urge them to increase more and more. You never have enough love in your life. However much you've learned to love, you're not there. You're not even close to there.

You have so much more capacity to learn brotherly love and to love each other better than we do now. So this should be something that is always a critical matter to us. Love is always the most critical matter. It's loving God and it's loving our neighbors. That's all the law and the prophets.

They all hang on that. So we should increase more and more. And then at the end of chapter 4, Paul separates himself out from the other authors. We see that happen three or four times through the letter where it's we, we, we, and the we is Paul and Silvanus and Timothy writing together. But every once in a while, Paul breaks out of the pack and he says, I.

This is one of those places at the end of chapter 4. Paul begins to speak about those who sleep in Jesus. Not people taking naps, but those who die, but they die in Christ. They've been cleansed and forgiven of their sins. Paul wants us to know that it's inappropriate to sorrow as those who don't have hope.

When someone in Christ dies, It's completely inappropriate. Not to mourn, that's appropriate. But to sorrow like those who have no hope, as if there's not a glorious future for those who sleep in the Lord, for those who die in Christ, sends the wrong message to the world. Paul assures us that they will rise and they are at no disadvantage with respect to the second coming of Jesus Christ. In other words, those who have died in Christ, having been forgiven of their sins because they repented and believed the Gospel, they're not going to miss the second coming.

They're going to be with Jesus when He comes. Their bodies will be the bodies that are changed first. They will rise first. And then those who are alive when Christ comes back will be caught up to meet Jesus in the clouds. What's that going to look like?

None of us know. But it's glorious. It's a glorious truth. And then we have this right at the end of chapter 4, and thus we shall always be with the Lord. And then he says, comfort each other with those words.

Amen and amen. This is the end of the story for all who are in Christ. We'll always be with Jesus. We'll always be with the Lord. Chapter 5 is about the day of the Lord, this returning of Jesus in glory, and a barrage of practical exhortations and commandments.

Just a barrage. It's like the fire hose has been turned all the way on, and you're getting just every phrase has a hundred pages of content behind every phrase. I've never preached, nowhere close, I've never preached through a section that was this dense, meaning so much to say out of so few words of Scripture. It's just like packed in tight. 1st Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy are speaking of Jesus' return.

They say that this day comes as a thief in the night to the children of darkness. So there's a great divide on planet earth. There's children of darkness and there's children of life and there's nothing in between. You're part of one family or the other. You're a child of darkness or you're a child of the light.

And the work of Christ is the dividing line. Well if you're a child of darkness, When Jesus comes, it's going to be a big old surprise to you. It's going to be just like a thief in the middle of the night. We had that image of thinking of you being sound asleep, and then you wake up and you realize there's a thief at your bedside. Just the terror of the thought of that moment of one second being in a dead sleep and the next millisecond you wake up and you realize you're not alone in the bedroom.

There's the thief. That's how the day of the Lord comes to those who are not in Christ, but it comes as a welcomed friend to the children of light. In fact, they've been looking for Him. They might wake up and He's at the bedside and they say, What took you so long? You're finally here!

It's not a thief to them. It's a friend that has been long anticipated. And so we're given these pictures. We're given this picture of the Children of darkness who are sleepy drunkards, they're either asleep or they wake up long enough to dull their senses and lose the perspective of what really matters in life. And they get drunk and they just drift back off to sleep.

That is the picture of the children of darkness. The picture of the children of light is completely different. Alert, waiting, Armed warriors. Remember the breastplate of faith and love and the helmet of the hope of salvation. So it's a warrior on duty.

You have the sleepy drunkard, and you have the warrior on duty who is ready for action and expecting action at any minute. And then when these pictures have been painted by Paul and Silvanus and Timothy, they exhort us to act like what we are. In other words, if you're a child of light, if you really are in Christ, then be that. Be the warrior on duty who's alert and expectant. If you're a child of light, you can't be over here acting like a sleepy drunkard.

It's not appropriate. There is nothing fitting about that. It's a mismatch. So, act like what you are is the big exhortation of chapter 5. And then that's spelled out.

How do children of light relate to their leaders? They recognize them. They esteem them. They love them. How do children of light relate to their leaders?

They recognize them. They esteem them. They love them. How do children of light relate to others? It depends.

Remember? The children of light can't afford to be one-trick ponies. Do you Remember that analogy? Different circumstances require for different ways of relating to people. Are we relating to the unruly?

Then we warn them. Are we relating to the faint hearted? Then we comfort them. Are we relating to the weak? Then we uphold them.

Are we relating to the alive? Then we're patient with them. Remember to be patient with all. If they're alive, if they have respiration in two eyebrows, or even one eyebrow. We're patient with them.

Children of light are never rendering evil for evil, but they're always doing good, both to those who are inside the faith and outside of the faith. At least that's our calling. We should aspire to that and strive towards that. We learned about the children of light's disposition towards God. They rejoice and they keep rejoicing.

They pray and they keep praying. They give thanks and they keep giving thanks. Do you remember that? Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing.

In everything give thanks." This is the disposition of children of light towards their Heavenly Father. They don't quench the Spirit. They test all things and they hold fast the good. Finally, at the very end of chapter 5, we get this second benediction. I want to read this one too, chapter 5, verses 23 and 24.

Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely. Remember sanctification is Christ-likeness. Make you completely like Christ. And may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.

Here's the conclusion. It's very simple. We should read this letter, we should love this letter, And we should praise God for His love for His people, which is just on display in many colors. The manifold love for God. Manifold is just many colored.

Lots of texture, lots of richness, lots of colors. That is how His love is for His people. If we are His, we should read 1 Thessalonians and be encouraged. He sent ambassadors to bring us the Gospel. Maybe after thousands of years of passing over people just like us, who were happily running headlong into destruction through the rebellion against the God who had given them life, for millennia God passed over people like that.

He did not owe them His mercy. They destroyed themselves. They were guilty. And He just let them be guilty. The only difference between us and them is that God sent us an ambassador with the good news that Jesus has died and shed His blood, and that if we repent and believe the Gospel, we can be in Christ.

And God will receive us like He receives His Son, who He loves. If we're in Christ, God sent an ambassador to you to bring you into His Kingdom. God gave you eyes so you would recognize that that Preaching was really the Word of God. God sustains you through persecution and trials. God gives you written instructions to tell you what the life of a child of light ought to look like.

God sanctifies you completely. In the end, you're going to be as sanctified as Jesus. You're going to be as Christ-like as Christ. Now, it won't be on this side of death. You'll make progress because God is a good disciple maker.

If you really are a disciple, you'll grow in your discipleship. That's one of the ways you can tell. But in the end, we make progress, we make progress, we make progress, and then we die or He comes back. And we still have a long ways to go, but in that second, we will be made like Him. Not in every way.

We will not become like gods. We will not become gods. But all of our corruptions will be removed so that all the barriers to fellowship that keep us from being face to face with God will be removed and we will be in His presence forever. Thus, we will always be with the Lord. He will preserve you blameless.

He made you blameless and He will carry you in blamelessness just because of Christ. This isn't us learning how to live sinlessly. No, no, a thousand times no. This is the blood of Christ continuing to do its cleansing work. And to make us acceptable to God because Jesus was acceptable to God.

And he has stood in the place of sinners who repent and believe. For those of us in Christ, he loves us. He will care for us to our dying day or until Jesus returns. Father, thank you for the glory of this letter. We say this at the end of every study of a book of the Bible, how good it has been, how rich it has been.

God, your Word is a well without a bottom. We can dip into that well, keep taking from it, and there's always more to get. I thank you for it. What a gift to us, Lord. We praise you in Jesus' name.

Amen. I'd like to turn it over to the men and give some parting shots on first Thessalonians.