Sermon: "Authentic Lives"

4th in the "Authentic People" series.
Delivered May 10, 2009 by Rev. George Antonakos.
Sermon Text: 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12

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So let's look at 1 Thessalonians, chapter 4, as we continue in this series on Authentic People, to see what Paul practically starts to get across to his listeners and the basis for Authentic Lives.

Let's pray: Lord, we thank you for your Word, and we ask that you would seal it and help us to understand it in our hearts. You said Lord that the Holy Spirit would guide us in the truth and so we ask for the illumination of the Spirit, as we hear the written Word read and preached, that it would mean something to each one of us, that only you can speak and teach us. And we ask it in Christ's name, Amen.

First Thessalonians 4, first verse through 12.

"Finally, brothers, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus."

"It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God; and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him."

"The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you. For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit."

"Now about brotherly love we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. And in fact, you do love all the brothers throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers, to do so more and more."

"Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody."

Today as we look at this whole thing of living a life that pleases God, I want to point out that Paul is not talking about... he's not saying something like, "Okay, here is how your spiritual life can get shaped up and get in order." Paul is not talking about... we often say that. We say that... "If I can just get a better handle on my spiritual life. Maybe if I could pray more or if I could master a discipline, my life, my spiritual life would be stronger."

We don't see any of that compartmentalization in this text. Paul is saying, "Look, here are instructions on how to live a life that pleases God." Not just about spiritual life over here and financial life over here and some other part of our life over here. It is all together. God is interested in your life, not just your spiritual life.

And the mood in the chapter is imperative. In other words, if you were to read verse 1 of chapter 4, in the way that the imperative mood is trying to get it across, it would say, "Finally brothers, we instructed you how you must live in order to please God." It is imperative. Not indicative. If you want to be a Marine, you must do certain things to be a Marine. It's not that you are self-righteous to be a Marine; you just have to do those things.

Our son went to the Naval Academy, and he didn't finish but he did two years there, and back in 1994, it was I-Day on July 1st. And I-day is coming up, for the Plebes. And the year he went in, a funny thing happened, that we still talk about from time to time. Apparently a football player who had been recruited by the Naval Academy (huge guy) is carrying his stereo equipment into Bancroft Hall.

Now at another college, you might think that is no big deal. And so he walks into this room and says "Okay, well, where can I set up my stereo equipment... ma'am." Some officer just gets right up in his face, all kinds of shouting and expletives and, "Don't you know where you are... ?"

The guy said, "You mean I can't do this?"

He said, "No. This is the Naval Academy."

He says, "Well. I am out of here then."

He takes his stereo, and he just leaves. He just leaves campus. He never plays a down of football for the Naval Academy. He just left. He didn't know where he was. He didn't understand that in that environment, you must do certain things.

Now, as soon as I say that, I get awfully nervous that we think that the Christian life is about must dos or should dos. That is not what I am saying today. We will unpack that in a little bit.

This is also a great Mother's Day passage. Because moms are awesome at telling us how we must live if we are going to get along in life, right? That is what moms do. Ten thousand people in a survey were asked, "Who has had greatest impact on your spiritual life?" The majority of the people said, "My mother."

Maybe somebody else specifically... I remember for me, Billy Graham, I first heard him preaching, and what an impact that had, and Bill Bright and Discipleship, and that had an impact. But over the long haul, steady life, just a way to see how a person should live, you know... forgiveness, graciousness, generosity, hospitality... my mom has had the greatest impact on me, spiritually.

So moms are good with instructions for living. Basically Paul said in Thessalonians earlier, "I was like a mother and a father to you." Now he is giving instructions. In chapter 4, verse 3 is the number one instruction of the text. Now, if I asked you (you already have the answer up there) before you walked in... if we were doing a survey, and I said to you, "Okay, I want you to fill in the blank, "It is God's will that you should be (blank)."

If you did not know this, how many people would have said sanctified? What would you have said? Ask someone that question after you leave here today. Fill in the blank, "It is God's will for you to be (blank)." Some people say happy. Some people say prosperous. Some people say... I don't know what they'll say, but here is what Paul said, and it can't be stated anymore plainly, can it? This doesn't mean that it is the total will of God about everything. I mean, that you are now going to get the complete will of God in this sentence, but this is a biggie, "It is God's will that you should be sanctified."

Now, the question then becomes, what does that mean? Well, sanctification is the process and the completion of a state of holiness. Clear? You got it now? No, because you need to understand, well, what does that mean? What does holy mean? Because if you look through this text, you can see in a number of places, actually in the context, coming into verse 1 of chapter 4, he says "May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God when he comes with all his saints."

Then down in verse 4, you need to live in a way (he is saying) that is holy and honorable. Verse 7, "... live a holy life... God who gives you His Holy Spirit." So the question is, what does the word holy mean?

The word holy simply means this: When a person responds to the Good News of God's love in Jesus Christ, the call goes out to that person, and they hear the call and they hear the grace of God coming into their heart. They respond and say "Lord, I accept you. I accept what you did on the cross for me. I personally receive you, and I want to be your child."

When that happens, you are in that moment, set apart... set apart from everything that has been a part of your life, up to that point, in the sense of spiritually. You are set apart by God for God's purposes. You know, Jesus said "Be holy, as your heavenly Father is holy." God is set apart from this whole world as it is. Not in the sense of the natural earth, but more in the sense of the world system.

God is set apart from the... Remember, when Paul said "all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh; the lust of the eyes; the deceitful pride of life... "? That is not from God. It is of the world. Holy means to be set apart from all of that for God's purposes, just like we set apart certain things for special purposes. We have fine china that is set apart. We have silverware that is set apart. Maybe somebody has a vintage bottle of wine that is set apart for special occasions.

So if you are one of those people who have responded to God's grace, in faith, you are referred to by a certain title. You are called a saint. Somebody, sitting next to you is saying, They're a saint? There is no way. Well, that is true. Maybe in behavior, we are not always. But you are sanctified. You are set apart to begin a process of holiness that will end in sanctification, which is to be like Jesus, exactly the way he is. That will never happen until that day that we stand with him face to face, which is what the end of chapter 3 says.

One confirmation class was in a sanctuary, a place set apart for worship. They were in a sanctuary, and in this particular sanctuary, it was a beautiful gothic cathedral. There were tons and tons of saints that were depicted in the stained glass windows.

So the teacher asked, "What is a saint?" One of the kids raised their hand and said, "I know. I know." She is looking up at the stained glass windows, and she says, "A saint is someone who lets God's light shine through. But a saint isn't somebody who does so by their own effort. A saint is connected with God, through Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit. And God is working through their lives to show forth a life that is somewhat of a reasonable facsimile of what Jesus would do."

That is the amazing thing. If you think about what real sanctification is. It is growing more and more into thinking, feeling, and acting the way Jesus would until we see him face to face. And when this happens, we do not just do what Jesus would do. We find ourselves wanting to do what Jesus would do. We find that the things that Jesus wants us to do make sense. They appeal to us. That is sanctification. And we start to turn from the old stuff that kept causing us to move away from what Jesus wants us to do. We don't just go around doing right things; we want to be the right kind of people.

I like the way John Ortberg says it in his book, The Life You've Always Wanted. He asked the question, "Why do we love modern day fairytales? Why do we love stories of transformation? Why do we love stuff about frogs turning into princes, ugly ducklings turning into swans, and marionettes turning into real boys? Why do we like those kinds of stories?" He said because it illustrates that something inside of us wants to believe that the world, as we know it, is not the whole story, that there is transformation that is going on.

Let me say this... and listen if you don't hear anything else, listen to this... every single one of you here is turning into something or other. We are becoming something or other.

One seminary professor shocked his class... eighty years old, sitting on a stool at the end of class... on sanctification, and he prayed this transparent prayer. "Dear God, keep me from becoming a dirty old man." He knew that it did not matter how old you were, that you could still go one way or the other. Your decision to be here today tweaks you in someway different than if you were not here.

Paul says in chapter 4, verse 1, "Finally brothers we instructed you how to live, in order to please God." That word live... how to live, literally means walk. I love the metaphor of walking. The spiritual life is about walking. You know, walking isn't that spectacular, until you can't do it. I didn't see a whole lot of people going, as you came in today, "Hey. Way to go. Love the way you are walking there." Nobody did that. But when you can't do it, it makes a difference.

I remember getting hamstrung, being a Weekend Warrior softball player when I was 40. I couldn't walk very well for a while. But even worse, I ruptured my lower disc. As a result of that disc rupture, some gunk that comes out of the disc gets on the nerve, and it pinches the sciatic nerve, and it went all the way down my leg, and this is the way I was walking. (Demonstrates)

There is a verse in the Bible that says "The Lord takes no pleasure in the strength of a man's legs." That is a humbling experience... when you can't walk.

I remember after getting a second spinal injection at the doctor's office, they thought, "Well, instead of surgery, let's try these injections." So I got the second injection, and he hit the bulls eye on that nerve, and it was like a day or two later, I am in my house, and I'm saying "I'm walking. I'm really walking." When you're not walking, you miss it.

So when Paul says here is how God wants you to walk. Don't think it is a small thing. But also think of this... it is a step-by-step process. Sanctification is not like "Hey I just arrived today." You will never arrive until you keep taking those steps toward the time when we see Jesus face to face.

So in order to sanctified, to grow, Paul says we have to be instructed. There is that Mother's Day theme again. We have to listen to instructions. That is exactly what he says in the first two verses. "You know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus." Paul says I am not making this up. This is what the Lord himself taught us. Other places, Paul says "Do not be conformed to this world. Be transformed by the renewing of your mind." That involves instruction. How we are shaped by God's Word.

Just to illustrate. I do not know how many have heard of Albert Ellis, but Albert Ellis created the therapy called Rational Emotive Therapy. It is cognitive therapy, and it goes like this: Think of it as A, B, C, D. If you are taking notes put down on your paper A, B, C, D.

A. Activating Event. (Something happens in your life. It could be anything.)
B. Belief that results from that activating event.
C. Consequential Thinking. (Consequence of thought)
D. Decision.

Let's say you break up with your girlfriend or your boyfriend, or somebody rejects you, okay? A is the activating event. B is a belief that might be something like I am worthless. C, the consequence then may be, 'I will never have a relationship.' D is 'So why try' (or something worse).

One time I was preaching in another church, in an interim church, and the choir was all in the back. You know, more traditional. The choir director was sitting not too far behind me, and when I made certain points, he would go "Huh... huh!" That was an activating event going on while I was preaching.

So I am believing that... what was I believing? What? Is he trying to sabotage me here? What is going on? Then C was Boy, maybe this sermon is not that hot. Well D is I am going to tell him. Tuesday, at a staff meeting, he is doing it again, "Huh, huh, huh... " He said "I have been having some chest problems. I don't know what is going on." I was like Whew! Am I glad I did not act on my belief; I am really, really glad. You know, that stuff happens all, all the time.

What... about two weeks ago, was it? About the tragedy? A policeman sees a 12-year-old boy pointing a gun, a toy gun, at him. What was his A, B, C, D? Activating event... toy gun (he doesn't know it's a toy gun), B... I'm in danger, C... I'll be killed, D... I better shoot back. What was the little boy's A, B, C, D? What was he thinking to do something like that?

Do you see how what we believe leads to consequences and decisions? Well, this is what Paul is saying. He says these instructions under the authority of the Lord Jesus are so that you will believe certain things. So that no matter what activating events happen in your life, you will think in the way that God wants you to think, and you will choose in the way that God wants you to choose, and you will decide in the right way.

So he says here are three crucial elements, three crucial beliefs so that sanctification, the process of it can occur. Again this is not running. It is not a sprint. This is a process. Granted we don't always do it right, but these are the three things. I'll just go as quickly as I can because time won't allow for more detailed explanations.

As you look in verses 4 to 7, here it is, "God's will that you should be sanctified, that you should avoid sexual immorality." Then he goes on to unpack what that means... that you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable. Don't be like the heathen.

The first century in Greece, adultery and fornication were going on all around. It was the world system. Paul is saying you were called out of that reality to live differently so that you would be used for God's purposes. You will not be sanctified if you keep ignoring and pushing away God's instruction on this.

And he goes on, and he is so explicit to say if you reject this instruction, you are not rejecting some philosophy among many; you are rejecting God himself who has told us that this is the way that we are going to be fruitful in this life.

Now listen, if I was standing at a road, and there was a sign right next to me, and it said, "Bridge Washed Out." And I stopped you, and I said, "Don't go down that road. You can see the sign. Please turn around." And you decide that you don't want to do that, and you just keep going, I can tell you nothing good will happen. Nothing good will happen.

Ask people, just go ahead and ask people who maybe you know have decided not to listen to this instruction, if anything good happens as a result of not listening to this instruction, and I think you'll be made aware, learning from the example of others that this is not what God wants.

Paul goes on to say "God has given us His Holy Spirit." Actually, the literal way that this is written in the text is "and God gives us the spirit of holiness." This means that God is always coming to us in his Spirit, trying gently to nudge and guide us just like a good mom does with her children. That's what he is saying.

Okay, so number one, we must avoid sexual immorality. Number two, we must commit ourselves to brotherly love. You all know the Greek word for brotherly love, I believe. If you know a city to the north of us, you know the Greek word for brotherly love. What is it? Philadelphia. Phileo is love, delphia is brethren. And brotherly love still goes on at Eagles games today, if you've ever noticed. They never boo, they never cuss, they never shout down the opponents, they are always gracious. We know that they even boo Santa up there, so...

The teacher affirms his students, and he says, "Look, you love each other..." Why? "...because you have been taught by God." I am so glad that our ability to grow in the Christian life isn't dependent on somebody's sermons because we're taught by God how to love each other. Again, we are taught through Scriptures and through preaching and everything else, but it just emphasizes again that this is God's work in motivating obedience. If we ignore people, if we mistreat fellow saints, if we hold grudges, if we withhold forgiveness, it will halt our progress quicker than anything.

I read a book, a story, last week. It was about a grandson reflecting on his grandfather's important decision to not return hate for hate but to love instead and not take revenge. The line in the book that just stood out to me was, "I am the child of my grandfather's forgiveness. I am the result." I think about that with my mom. I am the result of my mom's forgiveness. That we're not going to grow in sanctification unless we hear the words of the Lord, the most important teaching of our Lord Jesus, I guess. "Love one another, as I have loved you."

Number three, "We must (verse 11) make it our ambition to lead a quiet life." Technically this simply means... seek relentlessly to be still in your life. Not in a meditative way necessarily but ambitiously seek not to be selfishly ambitious.

Last September we did Making Room for Life, Randy Frazee's book. And we did five sermons on the importance of Sabbath rest, the importance of being responsible and living within your boundaries. This is the best chapter and verse on that.

"Seek a life of quietness.
Humbly mind your own business.
Practice your own things."

So basically he is saying that if we are to be sanctified in growing, we are going to be responsible for what God has given to us to be responsible for. Not somebody else's, but ours. We are not going to mooch. We are not going to be irresponsible. We are not going to be 30 and not have a job. We're not going to be 21 or 22 and not have a job. We're going to work.

Because what was happening in Thessalonica, the non-believers were watching the Christians mooch off other Christians, and they were saying, "Man, if that's a Christian, I'm not going to be that."

Paul says, "Look, moral integrity, self-giving love, humble quietness in relationships, strong work ethic... these are the things of sanctification. These are things you must do. Not because you have the power to do them on your own, but because the Lord will work in you to be holy. This is not about bootstrap religion.

Another great story borrowed from John Ortberg, this is a great story that makes that point. He said, "Once a Fortune 500 CEO and his wife were driving along, and they stopped for gas at a rare full-service station. The husband went in to pay the bill, and when he came back he found his wife engaged in conversation with the attendant."

"After they drove away, the husband asked what they were talking about, and she said, I know him. He was an old boyfriend. We used to date a few times." And the CEO with a certain sort of smugness as he is driving along says, 'I bet I know what you are thinking. I bet you are thinking you are glad you married me instead of that gas station attendant.' So I said, 'No. Actually I was thinking, if I had married him, he would be the Fortune 500 CEO, and you would have been a gas station attendant.'"

No one will ever be what God wants them to be because of their own smarts. It's always because of God's work in us. That is clear throughout this passage. God is at work. And it is never too late to shift your belief system. It's never too late to align your belief system to His.

So today you might take a step of faith. You might say, "Lord. It is hitting me. You died for me personally. I want to receive you. I want to ask you into my life. You might take a step of repentance and just say, "I want to turn from what I I've been doing. I've been thinking in the wrong way and it has been leading to poor decisions. God I turn from this. I need your help and your power."

That is why we have prayer ministers that line themselves up over by the pillars on each side of the sanctuary, of the worship center, because we know that we need help and support. They are here for you to pray, to take another step. Some of you may need just another step of renewal, just another somebody to come along side to encourage you. Some of you may be thinking, "I will never get this right. I am always falling down. I am a rotten Christian." What is that belief system going on?

If we'll put our hand in the hand of our Lord Jesus, if we'll walk with him, and listen to His word, hear His instruction, take it in, be with other people in small groups, serve and share... God will unfold that. But you will be walking. You might not think it is anything spectacular, but you'll be walking. And you'll become more and more transformed to his image. He will complete what he has started.

Let us pray: Lord we ask that you would help us to realize the truth of what is being said here. We all need help. We all stumble in many ways. But God is at work in us to will and to work for His good pleasure, and so we are called to work out our salvation with fear and trembling so that we might be the kind of people that you called us to be and so that we might show forth what happens when we are set apart for your purposes. We pray it through Christ our Lord, Amen.

© 2009, Rev. George Antonakos
Central Presbyterian Church, Baltimore, MD 21204 410/823-6145
www.centralpc.org