1 Thessalonians 5:12-22

A1 Scriptures

B1 "And we request of you, brothers, to recognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and instruct you, and to regard them beyond all measure in love, because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. Now we exhort you, brothers, admonish the disorderly, encourage the discouraged, be supportive of the weak, be patient toward all. See that no one pays back evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue that which is good, both for one another and for all. Rejoice always! Pray without ceasing! In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies. But test all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from every form of evil. " (1 Thessalonians 5:12-22, EMTV)

B2 "We beg you, our friends, to pay proper respect to those who work among you, who guide and instruct you in the Christian life. Treat them with the greatest respect and love because of the work they do. Be at peace among yourselves. We urge you, our friends, to warn the idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. See that no one pays back wrong for wrong, but at all times make it your aim to do good to one another and to all people. Be joyful always, pray at all times, be thankful in all circumstances. This is what God wants from you in your life in union with Christ Jesus. Do not restrain the Holy Spirit; do not despise inspired messages. Put all things to the test: keep what is good and avoid every kind of evil. " (1 Thessalonians 5:12-22, GNB92)

A2 Outline--Some last minute rules

B1 Regarding leaders in the congregation

C1 Respect them

C2 Love them in the Lord

C3 Be at peace

B2 Regarding fellow Christians in the congregation

C1 Admonish the disorderly

C2 Encourage the discouraged

C3 Support the weak

C4 Be patient

B3 Regarding all humans

C1 No revenge

C2 Always rejoice

C3 Pray without ceasing

C4 Give thanks in everything

C5 Don't quench the Holy Spirit

C6 Don't despise prophecies

C7 Test all things

C8 Keep tightly to what is good

C9 Abstain from every form of evil

A3 Notes

B1 Leaders

C1 Types

D1 "And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the perfecting of the saints for the work of ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ, " (Ephesians 4:11-12, EMTV)

D2 Apostles--the 12 that Jesus chose plus the few others recognized by the 12 during their lifetime. After the 12th died (John) there were no more apostles because there was no one to certify that person to be an apostle. Consider this.

D2 Prophets--the early church had a number of prophets and prophetesses. There are none now because there are no apostles to certify them.

D3 Evangelists--those whom have the gift of preaching the Gospel. We are all responsible to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ but these have a special gift, a drive, to preach. This may be in an area that has not heard the Gospel or in an area that has.

D4 Pastors--leader of local congregation. God gifts them to teach, lead, console, counsel, pray, evangelize, and many other things.

D5 Teachers--have the gift of explaining things so that people can easily understand.

D6 Elders, bishops, overseers, etc. refer to the same as pastor.

D7 Deacon and deaconess help with finance, counsel, and other personal, family, or congregational needs.

C2 Congregation's duty towards

D1 Respect them

E1 Treat them well

E2 Pray for them

E3 If disagree, approach them respectfully, not threateningly

D2 Love them in the Lord

E1 Pray for them to have

F1 Safety

F2 Wisdom

F3 Skill

F5 Fruits of the Spirit

E2 Help them by

F1 Assisting in tasks

F2 Not making life hard for them as in whining, refusing to obey Scriptures, etc.

D3 Be as peace

E1 Don't argue

E2 Don't fight

E3 Tell the truth

D4 They still may sin, so they may need rebuke. Galatians 2:11, 1 Timothy 5:20, John 16:23, etc.

B2 Regarding fellow Christians in the congregation

C1 Admonish the disorderly.

D1 Admonish is to point out errors.

D2 Disorderly is not following the order of the Scriptures and causing disruptions in the congregation.

D3 Disorderly may also refer to those who disobey the clear teachings of the Scriptures.

C2 Encourage the discouraged by

D1 A visit

D2 A letter

D3 A card

D4 A good deed as take them to the store

D5 Listen to them

D6 Pray with them

C3 Support the weak

D1 Tenderhearted, those who get discouraged easily

D2 Those who struggle with temptation

D3 Those who are sick and infirm

C4 Be patient

B3 Regarding all humans

C1 No revenge

D1 Financial

D2 Verbal

D3 Physical

D4 Slander

D5 Libel

C2 Always rejoice

D1 In things are pleasant then thanking God for it.

D2 In things that are unpleasant then thanking God that He has not left you, nor forsaken you (Hebrews 13:5) and that nothing can separate us from God's love (Romans 8:31-39).

C3 Pray without ceasing

C4 Give thanks in everything

D1 If things are good

D2 If things are bad. We still pray, because it could be worse, and God will help us.

C5 Don't quench the Holy Spirit. We quench the Holy Spirit

D1 In these three things. "And when He comes, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I am going to My Father and you see Me no more; " (John 16:8-10, EMTV)

D2 In these three things. "...for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. " (Romans 14:17, NKJV)

D3 In this one thing. "...that I might be a minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering of the Gentiles might be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. " (Romans 15:16, NKJV)

D4 In this. "And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. " (Ephesians 4:30, NKJV). We grieve the Holy Spirit when we sin in thoughts, desires, words, and deeds. We grieve the Holy Spirit when we do not believe the plain, normal sense of the Scriptures.

D5 The Holy spirit does give joy in tribulation. "And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit, " (1 Thessalonians 1:6, NKJV)

C6 Don't despise prophecies

D1 There are no prophets today because there are no Apostles to tell us who is true or false. See above discussion.

D2 This would refer to that church specifically and the early church in general.

C7 Test all things

D1 The standard to test against is the Bible in its plain, normal sense.

D2 We are to test all things.

D3 Doctrine, lifestyle, fellowship are important. There is a standard. It is not a church standard that we live by but the Scriptures themselves.

D4 For example

E1 "...not to be quickly shaken from your mind, nor be disturbed, neither by spirit nor by word nor by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ has come. " (2 Thessalonians 2:2, EMTV)

E2 ""I know your works, and your labor, and your endurance, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you tested those who say that they are apostles and they are not, and you found them to be false; " (Revelation 2:2, EMTV)

E3 "Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, who received the word with all readiness, each day examining the Scriptures to see whether these things might be so. " (Acts 17:11, EMTV)

C8 Keep tightly to what is good

D1 Good is defined by what God calls good.

D2 We are to be consistent.

D3 To do this in thoughts, desires, words, and deeds.

C9 Abstain from every form of evil

D1 Evil is defined by what God calls evil.

D2 We are not to do these things.

D3 Evil can be appealing, but in reality it is deadly.