Roadtrips with kids, “Okay, you better behave yourselves. Keep the peace.”

And maybe it’s fine for a little while, but it’s not too long before there’s a hand flailing around the backseat for something to smack.

“Do you want me to turn this car around?!” You get to a certain age, and you start calculating when “Turn this car around!” goes from possibility to empty threat.

Family of missionary servants. Back in chapter 2, Paul said that he was like their mom, dad, and siblings.

We’re on a family road trip through this life, so to speak, to a final destination that’s better than anything we could have ever dreamed of—new heavens and new earth.

And Paul’s already dealt with the bro/sis that are asking, “Are we there yet?!” every few seconds. And what’s funny, his answer is pretty much the same as most dads’ answer: “We’ll get there when we get there!”

And between now and then… we’re to keep the peace amongst ourselves until we get there. That’s where we left off last week.

Be at peace among yourselves.

1 Thessalonians 5:13b

That’s the way it should be, isn’t it?

Our peace, with God and with each other, has been purchased at a high cost, hasn’t it? Colossians says,

He is also the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile everything to himself, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

Colossians 1:18–20

But if you ask the average person in SOIL, is this what churches are known for? Not quite. Bicker, biting, backstabbing just seems to be par for the course.

We’re having a business meeting this Wednesday night, and Mindy and I were joking about it last week… we both have PTBBMD: Post Traumatic Baptist Business Meeting Disorder.

We’re a family, and we know that sometimes, families fight. We had this conversation in our household Friday night.

It’s not an impossibility for a family to live in disunity, it’s just inconsistent.

Be at peace among yourselves.

Be at peace among yourselves.

1 Thessalonians 5:13b

This is the phrase that ties the verses together. It’s like a signpost for us.

1. It points us back to the issue of leadership. Ever seen a family where the leadership structure had clearly broken down? Chaos ensues.

2. It points us forward to these practical instructions on how to deal with each other.

We exhort you, brothers and sisters

• Good to notice who he’s talking to. It’s still the whole church, not just leadership.

• Every member a minister. I’m called to warn, comfort, help… because I’m a Christian, not because I’m a pastor.

• More than just ask, beg, plead. “You’ve got to do this.

Three categories of people he gives specific instructions on how to handle.

Warn the idle

• This seemed to be an issue in this church, possibly because they were so prepared for Christ to come, so heavenly minded no earthly good.

• When we think idle = lazy, but it’s more than that. The word could also be translated unruly, disruptive, disorderly.

• Folks who are acting like that need to be warned. Same word as in verse 12 last week, honor in love leaders who “admonish you in the Lord.”

• Doesn’t mean it has to be harsh or critical. Not at all. They should be able to tell that it comes from a place of love and concern for them.

• Word also has a military connotation, marching. One guy gets out of step, has to be called back into line.

• Do you know anyone who’s out of line? Who’s disorderly, unruly, lazy in the Christian life? What are you going to do about it?

• “It’s none of my business!” Yeah, it actually is.

Comfort the discouraged

• maybe confused/concerned/fearful about death
• facing persecution, death among them
• maybe they were just born that way, raised that way.
• in Whinnie the Pooh, they’re some combination of Piglet & Eeyore.

That’s not how I am. Hard for me to understand and empathize with. Piglet is literally one of my least favorite cartoon characters of all time. Can’t stand him.

That’s why we have God’s word. Discouraged people need to be comforted/encouraged, not warned. The idle need to be warned.

Encourage those who are timid.

1 Thessalonians 5:14, NLT

We have to listen to them.

Some of us are suffering from ever-closed ears,
as a result of an ever-open mouth.

Alistair Begg

Help the weak

There are a lot of weak people. Physically, spiritually, financially, mentally, relationally, weak.

• Literally, “hold fast to.” Weak people need someone, a whole community of people, to hold them close. Again, like the way the NLT says “take tender care of those who are weak.

Be patient with everyone

You’re gonna need it!

Fruit of the Spirit.

• disorderly people don’t fall into line quickly.
• discouraged people don’t recover quickly.
• weak people don’t get strong quickly.

There are always going to be EGR people—Extra Grace Required!

This is for the whole body, including—maybe especially—leadership. Don’t amen, I might cry!

See to it that no one
repays evil for evil

Still talking to collective, we’re all to see to it that no one gets away with this kind of thing.

We’ll need all of us seeing to it, because it’s one of the most natural, sinful tendencies in the world, isn’t it.

Baseball

Opening day of baseball season this Thursday—it’s a miracle this year!

Baseball has two kinds of rules: written & unwritten. For the Cardinals, no one was more hardcore about the unwritten rules than Tony La Russa. \

Pujols (back at Cardinals!) gets hit by the Brewers back in 2011, not even intentional, just high and inside.

Next inning, Braun gets hit by a 98 mph fastball. Retribution.

That’s one thing in baseball, another in life.

Retaliation has no place in a Christian’s life. It doesn’t line up with the teaching of Jesus, the life of Jesus, or the followers of Jesus.

Remember, he’s still talking to the church. Sometimes people in churches are evil. You can be good to them, and they will repay you with evil.

But two wrongs don’t make a right. You don’t stoop to their level. You

BEN: “But it’s soo hard.” ME: I know. Trust me, I know.

Always pursue what is good.

You do what you can do.

Not just within the family, but outside it as well.

Conclusion

This seems like it’s all about us, but it’s actually all about God. Whether He is first and foremost in our lives.

One of the primary ways that God’s grace is given is through the fellow members of His family, our brothers and sisters.

• They are the ones who will pray with us, for us.
• They are often the answer to prayer.

We will experience more and more of God’s grace when we respect and respond to faithful leadership. When we work to keep the peace. And when…

We value people.

All people. The people society looks down on, or just ignores altogether.

• The misfits, rejects, cast asides.
• The unruly, lazy, disorderly.
• The discouraged, depressed, timid, insecure.
• The physically, emotionally, mentally, financially weak.

These are the people to whom Christ says, “Come, follow me.” Even though they may not be invited to the parties of the rich and famous, they have a spot at the Table.

We need each other.

The weak, discouraged, idle people in the church, they need your ministry. Yours, not mine.

And, you will need their ministry when you are weak, discouraged, and disorderly.

• We all know, we’ve all been that person at one point or another in our lives.

• Some of you may be realizing you are these people this morning. Admit it—to yourself, to God, and to the people around you.

He will not break a bruised reed, and he will not put out a smoldering wick; he will faithfully bring justice. He will not grow weak or be discouraged until he has established justice on earth. I am the Lord. I have called you for a righteous purpose, and I will hold you by your hand.

Isaiah 42:3–4, 6a

• Reed musical, doesn’t play right anymore if it’s bruised.
  • Some painfully aware of their bruises. Some painfully unaware.
• Smoldering wick, doesn’t have any use anymore.

These are things that people would normally throw away. Not Jesus.

He will not grow weak. He will not be discouraged. He’s going to establish justice on earth.

You, who’s flame used to burn so bright, but now it’s just smoldering, producing more smoke than light, appears ready to burn out, hear these words of comfort and hope, let them sink in deep down into your soul.

• He is the Lord.
• He has called you for a righteous purpose.
• And best of all, like a Father with the children that he loves, he will hold you by the hand.