"The Challenge of a God Honoring Life"
I Thessalonians 2:1-12
Main Idea: Challenging believers to live God honoring lives will never be accomplished by following the path of least resistance.
My brother, Brian, who lives in Fayetteville, has a new job with a company that makes baby wipes. His job is to insure that the quality of their product is not merely acceptable but excellent. He has discovered that not everyone in the plant is as excited as the owners are about making excellent baby wipes. One of their major customers is a retail giant based in Northwest Arkansas. Before he arrived a shipment of their product had been defective and that was threatening their future sales with this particular customer. It is his job to make this customer satisfied with their product. He has had to say in the strongest way possible to those in his area that if they don’t make excellent baby wipes they won’t have jobs. He is not always everyone’s favorite person because he calls for a standard of excellence rather than settling for what is acceptable. The reason he does that is because unfortunately we have begun to think that what is really only acceptable is excellent. He knows that if he doesn’t raise expectations then they will be out of business because people won’t buy their product.
That same idea is found in many areas of our life whether in the products we sell, the jobs we do, the relationships we have or the faith we profess. We have decided that what is really only acceptable is excellent. Gradually over time we lower our expectations to such a level that when we are shown something that is truly excellent or someone who performs at a standard above acceptable we can’t believe it. John Ortberg said, "It is never hard to find a rationale for following the path of least resistance".
Following the path of least resistance was not acceptable to Paul in his ministry. He always desired to give his best and serve with excellence those to whom God called him. It was because of this high level of quality ministry that the people he served were able to live lives that honored God more fully. Yet not everyone thought that. Paul was being criticized that his ministry with the Thessalonians really wasn’t the highest quality. In our text today he defends himself by reminding them of the single goal that he placed before them and the way he worked while he was with them to achieve that goal. His goal was to challenge them to live God honoring lives. He accomplished that by choosing to not follow the path of least resistance but instead serving them with his very best and with all of his life. What I want us to see today is that challenging believers to live God honoring lives will never be accomplished by following the path of least resistance.
Challenging believers to live God honoring lives is always to be our goal as a church (v. 1, v.12). Paul says in verse 1, "You yourselves know, dear brothers and sisters, that our visit to you was not a failure. Paul was convinced himself and knew they were convinced as well that his work among them was not without a purpose, that it was not a failure. That word "failure" meant that his work was not empty or hollow. It had the sense that it was something that would last as if he were saying, "It is not now nor ever will be without value and significance." How did he know that? How was he certain that what he did really mattered?
He knew that because his goal was clear from the beginning. What was his goal for his ministry with them? It was to assure that each one of them would live a God honoring life. (v. 12a) He said, "We pleaded with you, encouraged you, and urged you to live your lives in a way that God would consider worthy. For he called you into his Kingdom to share his glory." Paul’s words here apply to a person’s entire life. His implication is that the lives that these believers lived as well as ours should be ones that aim for the highest standard possible. He did this by pleading, encouraging and urging them to not settle for anything less than a life that is God honoring.
What do I mean by this term "God honoring"? Well it comes from the idea when Paul told them, "live your lives in a way that God would consider worthy." The word "worthy" here means the response or a responsibility we assume after a benefit has been given to us. Many of our students who are just starting college have been given scholarships that have certain requirements attached to them if they are to continue to receive the benefit of the scholarship. Their parents are doing all they can to ensure that the student performs in a way that is worthy of the scholarship so that it will not be lost. They want the student to be "worthy" of the honor of the scholarship.
I realize that we cannot repay God for what he has done for us in Christ. There is no way that we could ever do enough to some how balance the relationship that is ours in Christ. A scholarship to a university isn’t a loan; it is a gift but that gift must be honored and respected. We can’t repay God for his gift of grace to us but we can allow him to live through us in such a way that we live "worthy" or "responsible" for that grace! The question is are the lives we are living ones that God would consider worthy of the salvation and gifts that he has given to us?
Can I describe a "God honoring life"? The answer is not in the sense of things that you can put down on a list and somehow if you do these things then that equals a life that is God honoring. You and I know that we can all do things outwardly that seem to meet a certain standard but yet inwardly we are living a life that dishonors God. Jesus told the religious leaders of his day, "Hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs—beautiful on the outside but filled on the inside with dead people's bones and all sorts of impurity."(Matthew 23:27) Yet because I can’t define it fully in concrete terms doesn’t mean it isn’t something to desire. Paul didn’t define it either yet he called the Thessalonians to live a life that was worthy of God’s name. It is a life that God would consider worthy. It is not about someone else’s evaluation or their standard it is his evaluation that matters.
I believe that we as believers and as a church accept a level of Christianity that is far below a lifestyle that is God honoring. We are always tempted to settle for far less than what God desires for us. We don’t really expect people to live lives that reflect the life of Jesus so that when someone comes along who does that and is passionate about that we think that they are strange or weird. We believe that acceptable is excellent. Does it honor God that our lives are not more reflective of the life of Jesus Christ and that we become accustomed to settling for something less than a God honoring life?
Why does he have such a high standard? It is because of the ultimate goal of God for our lives. He says, "For he called you into his Kingdom to share his glory." This is a reminder that God has chosen every believer for an eternal relationship with him that should create in us a desire to live at a level of life that is totally honoring to God. There is a sense of God’s ownership that is reflected in this idea. He has "called" us both individually and as a church to participate in the highest honor imaginable: to experience life in "his Kingdom and to share his glory". It means that our destination as Christian is to share, experience a life that we can’t even begin to describe. Those words contain God’s rule for us now and the revelation of himself in eternity. That life is one that begins now and is completed in heaven. The point is why would we want to accept a life now that would be anything less than what he wants for us? If I am going to share his Kingdom and his glory then should I not want to live a life that is not a contradiction to what his desire is for me? When we have as our goal as a believer and as a church the aim of living God honoring lives in all we do then we can be assured that what we do in his name will not just matter now but for all eternity.
Paul’s goal for the Thessalonians was for them to live God honoring lives. Such a high goal had to be preceded by a courageous challenge. (I Thess. 2:2-6) I want you to notice a word in verse 3. The NLT uses the word "preaching" for what Paul was doing but the word is stronger than that. It meant to call someone to be accountable or to challenge them to a higher standard. The NASV uses the word "exhortation". So he is not just giving some nice devotional thought here but challenging them as if his life and their lives depended on it!
What were the characteristics that marked Paul’s challenge? First, it didn’t flinch in conflict. (v. 2) Paul reminds them of the harsh and severe treatment that he and his friends received when in they were in Philippi. He says they suffered much due to their being beaten and thrown into prison. Yet even though they had been treated so harshly it didn’t stop them from proclaiming "boldly" God’s Good News. The word "boldly" meant someone who was so compelled by what they were saying that the words flowed freely and without any restraint. After being beaten an imprisoned he was more passionate than ever to preach the gospel of Christ to them. What Paul had to say to them was not hindered by what people might do to him or what it might cost him. It was this ability to speak in the face of such opposition that made the quality of his instruction that much stronger.
None of us can flinch in the face of conflict when it comes to challenging believers to live God honoring lives or the need to share the Good News of Jesus. If any of us are reluctant to speak the truth freely then our desire to call people to live lives that are God honoring will always be diminished. We should not go out trying to stir up conflict. The path of least resistance is always a temptation for me because challenging you to raise your level of expectation will mean acting with boldness. It will mean, as he said pleading with you, encouraging you, and urging you toward not accepting as the standard of your life anything less than a God honoring life.
Another quality was that his challenge was presented in such a way that his integrity could not be questioned. (I Thess.2:3,5) Paul says that his challenge to them was not based on deceit, impurity or trickery. He will say in verse 5 that his instruction could never be accused of being insincere. It was common in the time to have persons who would come into cities with a lot of words and speeches and have no integrity whatsoever. They would say anything or do anything to get money or gain influence with the people. It is similar to the warnings we are given about the internet. There are people who use that information tool for their own self-promotion through deceit, sexual manipulation and theft. However Paul made it clear that there was no way they could be accused of such tactics.
The people we want to influence to live lives that are God honoring will see right through us if we are anything other than authentic and sincere. It is for that reason that we must continually check our motives as well as our methods. There will be nothing that speaks louder than a life of integrity. At the same time all of our efforts can become wasted if who we are doesn’t match what we say.
A third aspect of his challenge was that it was not dependent on the approval of others. (I Thess. 2:4, 6) He said he spoke with one goal in mind and that was to please God and God alone. That decision freed him from trying to shape his words to accommodate his audience. The reason for this courageous stance was because he saw how much God had invested in him by selecting him and trusting him with such a message that would change the lives of people for all eternity. He knew that God was continually checking his motives within so it drove him to speak only what would please God. If we are continually checking our approval ratings by our community then we can forget any claim that we have any authority from God.
What was the factor that gave Paul such boldness and courage? In a single word the answer was: God. Over and over in these verses Paul asserts that everything he does and says has God written all over it. There was no way that Paul could have endured the sufferings and pain he experienced unless he knew his message had its source in God and that he was strengthened by God. Paul’s instruction was one that caused people to experience and maintain a sense of awe about the holiness of God and the magnificent greatness of Jesus Christ!
So what does this say to us? It is a reminder that if we have a goal of challenging believers to live lives that are God honoring then the instruction that we give as a church must have a supernatural authority to it. It will have God written all over it. It will not blink in the face of conflict, cannot be questioned as to its integrity or be dependent on what others will say if we speak the truth. The implication is that if it is supernatural, if it has God written all over it, then we should be extremely attentive to what is said or taught. There is a false assumption that underlies most churches and that is that what is taught or preached is not to be too invasive or aggressive. In other words we have the idea that if you want to accept what is taught or preached as having some type of authority in your life then that is fine. If you don’t that is fine also. However instruction that moves people to live God honoring lives will be instruction that has an obvious authority to it.
Having the goal of people living God honoring lives does require a courageous challenge. Yet, how that challenge is presented is equally important. For Paul, his ministry with the Thessalonians was done at the level of the deepest relationship possible. (I Thess. 2: 7-11) It was not just what he said but how he said it that touched their lives. What were the qualities of that relationship? First, it was with the gentleness of a mother. (I Thess. 2:7) Paul is saying he was just as gentle and tender with them as a mother would be with an infant or young child. He also describes how he cared for them by feeding and nurturing them with the right spiritual nutrition. Calling people to live God honoring lives must have the gentleness of a loving mother. It must also desire to feed those we are leading with the right spiritual food.
Another quality of his relationship was that it offered the companionship of a brother (v. 8-9). Paul speaks of his openness in giving his life to them. Twice in this passage he calls them "brothers and sisters". He is telling them that he couldn’t imagine doing life without them. He did nothing selfishly but fully sharing his life with them. Challenging believers to live God honoring lives will call on us to break open our lives and be willing to say that we can’t imagine doing life without them. They need for us to be willing to share fully with them for no other motive other than the fact that we need that relationship.
Lastly, his relationship with them had the firmness of a father (10-11). Paul uses three words to describe the "fatherly" way he related to them: pleaded, encouraged and urged. Each of these words are proactive words that say it is my responsibility to challenge you to live a God honoring life: to envision the person Christ wants you to be, to help you move beyond the satisfaction of the acceptable and sharing how Christ has enabled you to grow. For believers to live lives that are God honoring they do not need a Drill Instructor to shock them into action but a father to guide them firmly toward a higher standard!
I have three things I want you to take with you this morning concerning this message:
Scott Turow begins his novel Presumed Innocent with the words of a prosecuting attorney named Rusty. Rusty is explaining his approach to the jury when he is in court. Rusty says: "This is how I always start: 'I am the prosecutor. 'I represent the state. I am here to present to you the evidence of a crime. Together you will weigh the evidence. You will deliberate upon it. You will decide if it proves the defendant's guilt.
'This man--' and here I point ...If you don't have the courage to point ... you can't expect them to have the courage to convict. And so I point. I extend my hand across the courtroom. I hold one finger straight. I seek the defendant's eye. I say: 'This man has been accused..."
Scott Turow shows in the courtroom a principle that holds true in all of life. People need leaders to galvanize their courage. People need leaders to point, to take a stand, to say what they believe. (Craig Brian Larson, pastor in Chicago. Men of Integrity, Vol. 1, no. 1) Today the church of Jesus Christ needs leaders who will challenge believers to live lives that are God honoring. Only lives that refuse to accept the acceptable will God consider worth bearing his name. Challenging believers to live God honoring lives will never be accomplished by following the path of least resistance. The question is will we accept the challenge or will we settle for the acceptable.
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Dr. Bruce Tippit, Pastor
First Baptist Church
Jonesboro, Arkansas