#2
(The Church’s Stance While Awaiting Christ’s Return
Series)
"BE
RESPECTFUL!"
TEXTS: 1 Thess.
5:12-13; Psalm 133:1-3
INTRO: Stephen Hawkins is one
of the finest physicists in the world today, having a mind so brilliant that he
has been compared to Einstein and others who have shaped the world with their
keen intellect. Yet, with his mind
in perfect working order his body is ravaged with a disease that has left him
totally immobile ... now he cannot even speak. Though nothing is wrong with his mind
his body is horribly paralyzed by a disease that makes each part ignore the
other parts, nothing works in sync, his mind is thus trapped in a useless
nonfunctioning body.
Sadly,
this is sometimes the picture of the
Paul
in writing to the church in Thessalonica reminds them about the importance of
church organization and the attitudes toward one another within the body of
Christ while they are watching for His return.
One
of the responsibilities of the church watching for the return of Jesus Christ is
to maintain a healthy love and respect for its leaders and for its leaders to
have a healthy love and respect for those they lead -- and in doing so Christ's
body will function well and the Gospel of Christ will be
promoted!
PROP.SENT:
The Bible teaches us that it
is important for the leaders and those they lead to love and respect each other
in order for the body of Christ to be functional and
coordinated.
A. Responsibilities
1 Thess.
1. The group of leaders being
addressed here in Thessalonica is primarily the Elders and the
Pastor.
2. There are 3 areas mentioned
concerning their roles in the church:
a. “...who work hard
among you…” 5:12a – the words “work
hard” in Greek means labor in a general sense, meaning working hard
in many areas. The witness of these
leaders is that they make themselves available to the body of Christ in many
ways.
b. “...who are over
you in the Lord...” 5:12b –
indicate that they rule in some capacity within the church, the Greek word here
indicates LEADERSHIP, ruling by EXAMPLE.
ILLUS: General
Eisenhower used an illustration to train his leaders on the proper way to lead
men, he would set a string down on a table and tell the men to try and push the
string forward, it would never work ... then he would tell the men to pull the
string from out front, it worked every time. So is leading in the
church.
– Source Unknown
c. "...who admonish
you." 5:12c primarily this referred to the role of the
Pastor or teaching Elder, but was also true of the Elders as they gave
counseling and teaching to the church.
ILLUS: In
the British Weekly a letter was published about the preaching ministry of
Pastors: "Dear Sir, it seems ministers feel their
sermons are very important and spend a great deal of time preparing them. I have been attending church quite
regularly for 30 years and I have probably heard 3,000 of them. To my consternation I discovered I
cannot remember a single sermon. I
wonder if a minister's time might be more profitably spent on something
else." For weeks a storm of
editorial responses ensued, ending with the following letter: "Dear Sir, I have been married for 30
years. During that time I have
eaten 32,850 meals, mostly my wife's cooking. Suddenly I have discovered I cannot
remember the menu of a single meal, and yet I have the distinct impression that
without those meals I would have starved to death a long time
ago!"
–
Source Unknown
3. The word “admonish” in the verse indicates a correction
or rebuke.
a. It probably had to do with the fact
that some in the church had decided that since Jesus was coming at any moment
they would quit their jobs and just wait ... and since Jesus hadn't come before
their savings ran out they were now sponging off others in the church by
appealing to their love as brethren!
b. Thus Paul had instructed the Elders
to “admonish” or correct those who were idle in the
church, (see 2 Thess. 3:6-10) but a job some
of them might have done with a bit too much harshness!
c. It is the fact that the Elders had
been a little harsh that prompted the verses we are now studying, because of the
hard manner in which the message had been delivered the people were not
respecting the leaders the way they used to.
d. Paul could see what was coming --
division and infighting ... these verses were written to prevent an escalation
between leaders and lay people, to get the church back on a healthy
track.
4. In a sense Paul is acknowledging
the human frailty of leaders, they don't always do something perfect but the
office and role they hold is to be honored and they are to be loved and
respected!
5. The failure of the church to have a
healthy love and respect for its leaders is sure to lead to spiritual suicide
and ineffectiveness in ministry!
ILLUS: Some
churches are more like a flock of sea gulls than a flock of wild geese: While sea gulls look beautiful ... in
fact they are often used as a symbol of independence, they are lousy in
groups. Sea gulls so demand their
own way that if placed near others they will fight with one another, if you tie
a piece of string to the foot of one to make it stand out among others you
condemn it to death by the others, they will mercilessly beat and kill the bird
with the string because it dares to be over them by appearing different. Wild geese on the other hand fly in
V-formations, having the birds who can handle stress better take the lead; this
cuts the wind resistance for the birds that follow in the "V" so their flight is
less difficult. They will rotate this place of leadership among all the strong
birds only ... leaving the weaker and older birds to occupy the positions near
the end of the "V." The birds at
the back do a great deal of the "honking" ... probably as encouragement to the
leaders of the flock for the good job they are doing, they keep honking to keep
encouraging the leaders and to affirm them! Sea gulls are competitive, wild geese
are cooperative, and which flock would you rather be in?
– Source Unknown
B.
Respect 1
Thess. 5:13a
1. "Hold them in the
highest regard in love because of their
work."
a. First the phrase "HIGHEST
REGARD" is a rare construction in the Greek language ... it is a
strong GREEK INTENSIVE!
b. The officer and the office are in
mind here!
c. The possibility of doing this is
made possible by the added "IN LOVE."
(1. It is not because they are perfect but
because they are loved!
(2. This only magnifies the
respect!
(3. Leaders are quite capable of errors but
“love covers a
multitude of sins!”
2. “Hold them in
highest regard in love BECAUSE OF THEIR
WORK.”
a. It is difficult to work when you
are not appreciated!
b. The point here cannot be missed,
leadership is more effective when it is
appreciated!
c. In an age when we tear apart
leaders we would do well to remember this principle if we want better
leaders.
ILLUS: To
quote one author: "Leaders can never do their best work when
they are subject to carping criticism from those who should be their
followers"
– Source Unknown
3. Correction is different from criticism, correction
attempts to restore, criticism seeks to take
apart!
ILLUS: The
Critic's poem: "A little seed lay
on the ground, and soon began to sprout.
Now, which of all the flowers around," It mused, "Shall I come out? The Lily's face is fair and proud, but
just a trifle cold; the rose, I think, is rather loud, and then, its fashion's
old. The violet is all very well,
but not a flower I'd choose; nor yet the
4. One final reason for respecting
your leaders, someday you might be one and how much easier it will be for you
when you lead if you have the respect of others! We tend to reap what we
sow!
5. The operative reason for respecting
them was the term, "IN LOVE."
a. This opens the door for covering
mistakes.
b. This makes the relationship more
than just an official one, it is an affectionate
one!
II. ABOUT LIFE IN THE CHURCH 1 Thess. 5:13b; Psm. 133:1-3
A. Relationships
1 Thess. 5:13b
1. This final line is spoken to both
leader and follower: "be at peace with one another" or "live in peace
with one another."
a. This is to characterize the life of
the body of Christ ... one of peaceful unity!
b. This is a call for mutual respect
and love between leaders and followers; what is good for the geese is good for
the ganders!
c. This harmony should flow both
ways!
2. All relationships in the body of
Christ are to be marked by love and respect! There can be no grounds for
relationships in Christ's body without it!
a. It does not matter if our
personalities are different, we are still to love and respect each
other!
b. Our likes and dislikes may not be
the same, our styles may differ, even our strengths and weaknesses should not
alter the love and respect we are to hold for one
another!
3. Our relationship to each other is
built on Jesus Christ ... nothing less!
4. This phrase was added to balance
the admonitions to the people to love and respect their leaders ... for it was
addressed to the leaders about the people and vice
versa!
B. Reasons
Psalm
133:1-3
1. Why this call for peace and
unity?
a. A body that is not united is a
misfit! A diseased body cannot
function like a healthy one!
b. It also is important if that body
has any hope of experiencing God's blessings!
2. The oil can run all the way down
when unity is there!
3. “The dew of
Hermon falling on Mount Zion” would be a heavy thick dew full of
moisture, enough to perhaps make Mount Zion break out in great growth, the image
then is one of great fruitfulness or growth!
a. A growing church is one that is
harmonious and peaceful!
b. The fruit of God's Spirit is
evident in the church where there is love and respect between all its
members.
c. We need to be at peace with one
another!
4. God bestows His blessings on the
church where there is peace among the members and their
leaders!
a. This certainly explains the
blessings of many healthy church bodies!
b. "…even life for
evermore." Psm. 133:3b Real life
flows from a church filled with love and respect!
5. The church that is watching for
Jesus' return needs to be at peace with each other, we are all going to the same
home, might as well get along and love each other now!
ILLUS: During
the American Civil War rival armies were encamped on the opposite sides of the
6. WE need each other, in all
our different ways and in our different callings in the church ... leaders and
lay people; we are called upon to love and respect each
other!
a. We can get so much more done for
Christ when we work together!
b. The body of Christ must not be
allowed to become paralyzed!
CONCLUSION: No business can succeed without
mutual love and respect between the leaders and the laborers, neither can the
church operate harmoniously without love and respect between leaders and lay
people! "A house divided
against itself cannot stand" is the way Jesus stated it! This is true of God's house as
well! God's blessings have rested
on His church for many years thanks to the practice of love and respect by both
leaders and lay people ... let's not ever take this for
granted!