Building Up the Church by: Bro. Ezekiel Panela

1 Thessalonians 5:12-24

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Author: Apostle Paul
When was it written? Possibly as early A.D 50

In 1 Thessalonians, Paul wrote to the believers in the church at Thessalonica, founded during his second missionary journey. Riots and opposition had forced him to leave them sooner than he desired. But later news of their progress encouraged Paul to write to commend them in growing in the Lord and urge them to correct some misunderstanding.

Zig Ziglar once said. “ The hardening of the attitudes is the most deadly disease on the face of this earth.

In building up the church…

1. We must have an attitude that builds up church leaders

2. We must have an attitude that builds up brothers & sisters

3. We must have an attitude that builds up yourself
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1. ATTITUDE THAT BUILDS UP CHURCH LEADERS (5:12-13)

1. Being Respectful (knowing them- KJV)

12 Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. Paul uses the collective term "brothers" to show us that he’s addressing the entire congregation.

2. Being Appreciative - This esteem is due them on account of their work.

13 Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work.

3.Being in Peace – let there be no factious spirit, let there be mutual harmony

13b Live in peace with each other.

Who are those being referred here?

Those men and women in our church who are "working hard" to make ministry happen and “over you in the Lord”.

In Acts 14:23 (NIV)

23 Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust

These are our elders and pastors--of course--but it’s also ministry leaders, and so forth....

When these leaders labor in ministry and when members know them well enough to appreciate what they do, there’s peaceful harmony in the church

Submit to the pastors & elders of the Church, acknowledge and take them for such as they are, that is to say, men worthy to be greatly esteemed of among you.

Effective leadership and effective following translates into harmonious relationships. Ineffective leadership or disrespectful following translates into friction, tension, and conflict.

2.ATTITUDE THAT BUILDS UP BROTHERS AND SISTERS (5:14-15)

14And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. 15 Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else

Once again, Paul uses the collective term "brothers" to show us that he’s addressing the entire congregation.

1. Being a warning (warn, admonish) – to those who are idle, and it usually refers to cautioning people about destructive and immoral behaviour.

2. Being an encourager - to the timid

These are the discouraged and broken hearted, the troubled and depressed, This word was often used to describe giving comfort. And the people who most need this tender comfort are the timid.

3. Being helpful - to the weak (exhausted), spiritually weak (because Paul is giving instruction to the believers)

These are the men and women who simply aren’t spiritually strong enough to function the way God wants them to, so we’re told to prop them up, to lend support so they don’t fall.

REMEMBER:
Ministering to these people is the responsibility of the entire church. This means each one of us and not just only for pastors or leaders.

As believers, we are the hands and feet of Jesus on this earth. God wants to bless people, and He wants to use both you and me to do it! He wants to work through us to show His love and compassion and draw people to Himself.

4. Being Patient - with everyone (always keep your temper)

Then Paul says to be patient with everyone, because he knows that we tend to become very impatient with these kinds of people (idle, timid & weak).

5. Being Kind always – to each other & everyone else.

Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong.

The follower of Jesus is to always seek the good, not echo the evil.

3. ATTITUDE THAT BUILDS UP YOURSELF(5:16-22)

1. Being joyful always –

16 Be joyful always;

The word of God tells us to be joyful always, that it is God's will for us. But it is a choice. You will never have the perfect set of circumstances in every situation of every day of your life but you can have joy every day of your life. Joy is not found in the external; it is found in the internal. It is found inside of you in your spirit.

Remember Paul despite of the trials, hardship, sufferings & painful experiences he gone through yet he wrote BE JOYFUL ALWAYS, because He knew God is in control of whatever might happen to him.

By purposely doing what encourages your spirit, joy will begin to well up from the inside of you, a joy that does not depend on circumstances.

These verses have a key to being joyful always. That key is to pray continually

2. Being Prayerful – 17 pray continually;

Maintaining a healthy relationship requires communication. Always be "online" with God so when the Spirit moves you to pray, you can instantly agree with Him. By praying always we are strengthen, then after you prayed, you will realize that I can be joyful always because God is there..

3. Being Thankful – 18 give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
It builds our faith and resilience all the more when we discover that being thankful helped solve our problem and actually minimised associated knock-on problems.

What would we have to lose in remaining hopeful and thankful in all circumstances? Nothing really, it takes just a little courage and faith.

4. Being Spiritually On Fire
19 Do not put out the Spirit’s fire;

2 ways people can put out the fire of the spirit

(1) By not acknowledging the Spirit’s power & freedom to act

(2) By attempting to do the Spirit’s work through human strength.

Paul wanted the Thessalonians to permit the use of spiritual gifts so the church could be built up.
5. Being Admirable to prophecies
20 do not treat prophecies with contempt. 21 Test everything. Hold on to the good. 22 Avoid every kind of evil.

Prophecy needs to be consistent with the Scripture and endorse by mature leaders (1 Cor. 14:29). Rejecting the good along the bad is an error in opposite extreme.

CONCLUSION

23 May God Himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 The One who calls you is faithful and He will do it.

Spot Bowling
Imagine what the game of bowling would be like if you couldn’t see the pins you were trying to hit. In 1933, Bill Knox did just that—and bowled a perfect game.

In Philadelphia’s Olney Alleys, Bill had a screen placed just above the foul line to obscure his view of the lane. His purpose was to demonstrate the technique of spot bowling, which involves throwing the ball at a selected floor mark on the near end of the lane. Like many bowlers, Bill knew that you can do better if you aim at a mark close to you that’s in line with the pins. He proved his point with a perfect 300 game of 12 strikes in a row.

Spot bowling illustrates part of a wise approach to life. When Paul wrote to the Thessalonians about the return of Christ, he reminded them that the ultimate goal of their salvation was to “be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (5:23). Paul taught them to focus their eyes on near actions that were in line with that goal. He urged them to comfort one another, help the weak, warn the wayward, pray without ceasing, and rejoice always. Then he added that we must do this in the power of Christ who is working in us (vv. 23-24).