Our reading this evening is 1 Thessalonians and chapter 4. 1 Thessalonians and chapter 4. And we commence at verse 1. Furthermore then, we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more. For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication. That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour. not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God, that no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter, because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified. For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his Holy Spirit. But as touching, brotherly love, ye need not that I write unto you, for ye yourselves have taught of God to love one another. And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia. But we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more. And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands as we commanded you. That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing. But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God. and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words. As ever we trust that the Lord will add his own special blessing to the reading of his infallible word. Amen. Well this evening we are continuing our series of studies in Paul's two epistles to the Thessalonians. We've already considered the first three chapters of 1 Thessalonians and today we shall be considering the whole of chapter 4. And we have seen, have we not, in our previous studies that the city of Thessalonica was the capital city of Macedonia, an area that we would perhaps now call northern Greece. Paul and some companions spent a relatively short time in Thessalonica preaching the gospel of God's grace. And there were some who were trusted in Christ and were going on in the faith despite some stiff Jewish opposition. And not only had they trusted in Christ but their witness had been such that their faith was spoken of throughout Greece and beyond. It was probably while Paul was in Corinth that he received tidings from Timothy that prompted him to write this first epistle to the Thessalonians addressing the problems which had reportedly arisen in that developing Thessalonian church and later Receiving reports of further or continuing problems, Paul was led after just a brief interlude to write his second epistle to the church. And as we've noted previously, it appears that the main problem that had arisen amongst the saints at Thessalonica was to do with the law's return, namely when it would be and also how to prepare for it. In our last study, the study of 1 Thessalonians chapter 3, we saw that the overriding message of that chapter was the concern that believers should have for the welfare of other believers, not just those in our own fellowships, but in other fellowships as well. And not only for those in our own fellowships, in our own country, but for those elsewhere in the world as well. And I trust that since our last study we may have been praying more earnestly for other believers both at home and abroad. As I've already said, this evening we shall be considering the whole of 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 and we shall see the importance of living holy lives, not impure lives. Also, the importance of getting on conscientiously with our duties and how all believers, all believers both the living and the dead, will be present at the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Well, our chapter begins with these words. Furthermore, then, we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more. And we're going to start by considering the words, how ye ought to walk and to please God. which we can understand to mean how we should be living our Christian lives. Our walk with God, how we live our Christian lives are synonymous. We know from the Old Testament scriptures that both Enoch and Noah walked with God. And it should be our desire, should it not, to emulate them. And it is a fact that those who walk with God will please him. And only those who walk with God can please Him. And so we have our first question this evening. Are we all walking with God? And are we thus pleasing to Him? Well, Paul besought and exalted the new converts at Thessalonica to remember what they had been taught during that brief period that he and his companions had spent at Thessalonica. And notice again how Paul addressed those saints as brethren, brothers and sisters in Christ. And he besought and exalted them by the Lord Jesus. that is, with the God-given authority of his apostleship, reminding them of what had been explained to them when he was with them about how to live their lives as converted people. Paul desired that not only should they remember what they had been taught, but also that they would make great progress in their Christian lives, that they should abound more and more. And here we have a further question to consider. Are we abounding more and more in our Christian lives? Well moving on now to verse 2 of our study passage this evening which reads thus, For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus." Notice how we have the same expression as in verse 1, by the Lord Jesus. Showing us again the authority of all those whom the Lord Jesus set apart to do his work. And when Paul wrote of the commandments that were given to the Thessalonian converts, he was referring to the solemn instructions or charges that were given to them. And commentators have pointed out that the word translated here as commandments has a military connection inasmuch as it can refer to commands received from a superior and then transmitted to others. Young Christians have much to learn and will greatly benefit from the advice of those who are older and wiser in the faith. Things to be avoided may not always be obvious to new believers and those who are older in the faith can help newer believers to avoid certain pitfalls, provided that is, that the new converts have teachable spirits. Regrettably, there have been relatively new believers who think that they know it all already and sometimes seem unwilling to learn from older believers. Well, may we all, young or old, have teachable spirits. But next we have a series of verses which are to do with sexual sin. It appears from the scriptures and other records that sexual sin was rife in Greek society in New Testament times. And Paul tells the new converts at Thessalonica that God requires them now to live lives that are holy, sanctified lives, hallowed lives. He wrote this as we see from verse 3, for this is the will of God, even your sanctification that ye should abstain from fornication. Now the word translated here as fornication is understood by many to include all forms of sexual uncleanness. It's identical to the word spoken by the saviour which we have recorded in Matthew chapter 5 and verse 32 and that verse reads thus. But I say unto you, that whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery, and whosoever shall marry her, that is divorced, committeth adultery. However, some people feel that the word can sometimes have a more specific meaning. namely that of a sexual relationship before a marriage, which would render that subsequent marriage invalid. Well, I'm of the opinion that the word can encompass many forms of sexual uncleanness, but it's one of those areas where believers may agree to disagree. What we can be certain of was that Paul was telling those converts at Thessalonica to refrain from illicit sexual relationships. If they wanted to be holy people, if they wanted to be sanctified people in God's eyes, then they would have to behave in a certain way. And it seems that Paul may have had a specific sin in mind here, namely adultery. And I say this because the next verses in the passage we're studying, verses 4 to 6, refer to married people. Those verses read thus. that every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour, not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God. That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter, because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned and testified. Now it needs to be noted that there are two distinct views as to the vessel mentioned here. One view is that the word vessel used here refers to a wife and apparently is in accordance with Jewish or rabbinical usage. If you turn to 1 Peter chapter 3 and verse 7, you'll find there these words, 1 Peter 3 verse 7, Likewise ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, give honour unto the wife as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers be not hindered. And those who subscribe to that view believe that the word is not used here in 1 Thessalonians in any derogatory sense at all but to describe the female partner in a marriage. is that when every male Thessalonian saint was told to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour, it was in fact a reference to his own body, named that he should never use his own body in a way that is dishonourable and unholy. Well for myself I prefer the first view. namely that it refers to the husband's relationship with his wife and as to how a husband should honour that relationship, not least by being absolutely faithful to her. Now the word concupiscence here refers to sinful sexual desire and behaviour which should never be present in a marriage. The lust of concupiscence, as Paul puts it here, was something prevalent amongst those Gentiles who knew not God. Adultery was commonplace even as it is in our own day. And it's possible that this was a problem which affected the Thessalonian saints. And this is why Paul warned the saints there to be faithful to their own wives and not in any way to get involved with other men's wives. We see that Paul referred to this when he gave those instructions and I quote that no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter because the Lord is the avenger of all such as we also have forewarned you and testified. Now we may feel that this is something that wouldn't happen in our churches, but regrettably it has. And although the emphasis here is in respect of the behaviour of husbands, I believe that it extends to the behaviour of wives also. All married people should conduct themselves in a way that will not put their marriages at risk. And notice that God himself will avenge those who are defrauded. We're told this, the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified. Now, if you turn to Hebrews 13, chapter 13, verse 4, you'll find that these words, marriage is honorable in all, and the bed undefiled, but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge. Human marriage is a reflection of the Saviour's relationship with his people. Indeed, some people believe that to a great extent this is why marriage was ever instituted in the first place. And just as the relationship between Christ and his people exists as a holy and pure relationship, so human marriage should be holy and pure and in no way unclean. As one commentator puts it, it's inconceivable that a thrice holy God would countenance uncleanness in his people, for, as verse 7 of the passage we're studying says, God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. The Lord's people are to seek to be holy in all their ways, in all their conversation or behavior. And we're told this, are we not, in 1 Peter chapter 1 verses 15 and 16 which read as follows. But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation because it is written. Be ye holy for I am holy. And so this question arises for us this evening. Could it be said of us that all our behaviour is pure and holy? Now Paul was very aware that not necessarily everyone to whom he wrote would follow the instructions that he was given but he was writing on God's behalf and disobeying Paul's instructions would be tantamount to disobeying God's instructions and also disobeying the promptings of God the Holy Spirit. Paul wrote this, he therefore that despiseth despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his Holy Spirit. We must ever remember that the scriptures may have been written by men, but they were all men who were writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. We're told, are we not, all scripture is given by inspiration of God. And as well as having the scriptures to guide us, we are also prompted and directed by the Holy Spirit as to how we should behave in any given situation. Verse 9 of our study passage reads as follows. But as touching brotherly love, ye need not that I write unto you, for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another. And some have suggested that Paul wrote this in response to something raised by the new converts at Thessalonica, which may or may not have been the case. It doesn't really matter since what Paul wrote was applicable in any event. Love for the brethren, love for our brothers and sisters in Christ is one of the hallmarks of true Christianity. We know this, do we not, from 1 John 3 verse 14 which reads thus, We know that we have passed from death unto life because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. When we studied chapter 1 of 1 Thessalonians, we saw that the saints at Thessalonica were, and I quote, and samples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia. And Paul also wrote these words, for from you sounded out the word of the Lord, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place. Your faith to God is spreadable so that we need not to speak anything. And here in 1 Thessalonians 4 we see this, that with regard to loving the brethren, Paul commends the Thessalonian saints by writing these words, And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia. But we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more. be in the capital of Macedonia it would only have been natural for Thessalonica to have been at the hub of those bodies of believers in northern Greece. And it appears from what Paul writes here that they were in touch in some way. It also seems that Paul was aware of manifestations of the love of the Thessalonian converts for their fellow Macedonians. But, while this was commendable, Paul wanted to see more of it. He wrote, But we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more. Now, was this an unreasonable expectation or is it something that should be asked of us all? Should we all always be striving to do better in many areas? Well, I think we know the answer to that. Verses 11 and 12 of the passage we're studying this evening, read us. And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands as we commanded you. That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing. And we're going to consider these two verses together because they are so closely connected. In a future study we shall be considering in perhaps some greater depth things which are closely connected with these verses but this evening we shall mainly just be considering what we have before us. Basically Paul is here advising the converts at Thessalonica as to how they should be conducting themselves. notwithstanding that they were now new people in a spiritual sense and were awaiting the Lord's return. They were to live as they were living before their conversion, provided that this didn't break any of God's laws. Their ambition should be to live quietly and lawfully, not meddling in other people's affairs. They were also to be gainfully employed. most likely in manual labour as was customary at the time. Nobody should be able to accuse believers of being work-shy or of getting involved in things that were nothing to do with them. Now with regard to working for a living, Paul had demonstrated this in his initial brief visit to the city of Thessalonica. And the passage that I'm going to quote now, we are going to study in greater depth later, but I'm just going to quote it now as 2 Thessalonians 3, verses 7-10. 2 Thessalonians 3, 7-10. For yourselves know how ye ought to follow us, for we behave not ourselves disorderly among you. Neither did we eat any man's bread for naught, but wrought with labour and travail night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you, not because we have not power, but to make ourselves an example unto you to follow us. For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat." Now there are some people who are not able to work, perhaps because of illness or old age, perhaps because they need to stay at home. to care for others, but it's a biblical principle that those who can work should work. You may have heard of something known as the Protestant work ethic, also sometimes referred to as the Calvinistic work ethic or the Puritan work ethic. And apparently this phrase was coined by a man called Max Weber. who asserted that Protestant ethics and values together with Calvinistic doctrines enabled the rise and the spread of capitalism. And this is what sociology students are taught in classrooms today. It is a work ethic concept which emphasizes that diligence, discipline, and frugality are the fruit of a person's adherence to those values espoused by those of the Protestant faith. Now I'm not saying that I agree entirely with all that Weber taught but it's interesting that the world has recognized that working hard can be directly connected to certain beliefs and that Protestants in particular have been identified as believing in hard work. To earn an honest living is commendable in any society and the converts at Thessalonica by doing this would be a witness to those unbelievers who were watching them and no doubt waiting for an opportunity to criticize them. And this is what Paul meant when he wrote those words, that ye may walk honestly toward them that are without. Furthermore, by earning an honest living, the converts would be providing for their needs, that they, and I quote, may have lack of nothing. Perhaps it's worth mentioning here that to lack nothing doesn't therefore mean that someone has everything, but rather that they have as much as they need. Because needs and wants are two very different things. But we're going to move on to the remainder of our study passage namely verses 13 to 18 which are all to do with the second coming of the Saviour. The saints at Thessalonica were concerned about those saints who had already died and thus wouldn't be alive when the Lord Jesus returned for his people. They were expecting the Lord's return in their own lifetime and needed to be assured that Irrespective of when someone dies, no true believer will be left behind when the Lord Jesus does return for his people. Paul wrote this, but I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep. That ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. And notice that Paul here refers to those believers who have already died as those who are asleep. And this sleep refers to the bodies of dead believers because their souls have already departed to be with the Saviour. Just to be clear, we do not believe in soul sleep. The Bible doesn't teach this. When the penitent thief on the cross asks the Saviour to accept him by saying these words and I quote, Lord remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. The Saviour's reply was this, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise. When believers die, their souls go immediately to be with the Lord. Our bodies are buried to await their resurrection from the dead, but our souls go to be with the Lord. There was no cause for the converts at Thessalonica to sorrow over much in respect of believers who had died, though it would be understandable if those who had unbelieving relatives who had died would have had no hope for such relatives. there is hope only for those who die in Christ. And how this should spur us on to give the gospel to our unbelieving loved ones, our families and our friends. When someone that we love dies, it's only natural that we are sorrowful. But it's only ever the sorrow of hopelessness if that someone is an unbeliever. Now the reason why all believers can have hope is the fact of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. Paul wrote this, for if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. And this is expounded in what Paul wrote to the saints at Corinth as we find it in 1 Corinthians chapter 15 from verse 12 onwards. That's 1 Corinthians 15. Paul wrote this. Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ, whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised? And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain. You are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. Now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first-fruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order Christ the first-fruits, afterward they that are Christ at his coming. Well, the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead is what we call a foundational doctrine and an essential doctrine, something which all true believers must accept inasmuch that we would doubt the salvation of anyone who doesn't believe in the resurrection of the dead. And the Savior himself emphasized the importance of this doctrine before he raised Lazarus from the dead at or near Bethany. John 11 verses 21 onwards read thus, Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hast been here, my brother had not died. But I know that even now, whatsoever thou would ask of God, God will give it thee. Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. Martha said unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection and the life. He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? Verses 25 and 26 are often quoted at funerals but those last three words, Believest thou this? are almost always omitted. Perhaps that's because it's not felt to be appropriate at funerals to question the faith of the person who has died or the faith of those attending the funeral. But returning to our study passage we see Paul once more invoking the Lord's name. Verse 15 reads thus, For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. Well we've already seen Paul do this in verses 1 and 2 of our study passage and he does it again now to emphasize the certainty the certainty of what he's writing in the light of the fears of the Thessalonian converts that their dead loved ones would miss out when the Lord returned. Now in our day we may use the word prevent in a different way but it also means to proceed or to come before and this is the sense in which it's used here in verse 15. And verses 16 and 17 describe how all believers, living and dead, will meet together with the Lord. We read thus, for the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God. and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so shall we ever be with the Lord. At present our saviour sits at the right hand of God where he ever lives to make intercession for the saints but at the appointed day after the last of the elect have been saved he will descend with a shout. and it's a shout that the dead will hear. And we find something relating to this in John's Gospel, in John's Gospel chapter 5 and verses 28 and 29 which read thus, marvel not at this, for the hour is coming in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice and shall come forth. They that have done good unto the resurrection of life and they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation. Now the Greek word translated here in our passage as shout only occurs once in the New Testament, the whole of the New Testament just once. And it's what we call an imperative. It's a shout of command, something which cannot be disobeyed. And in conjunction with the shout of command from the saviour, there will also be the voice of an archangel and the sounding of a trumpet. There being some who believe that it will be the archangel who actually sounds the trumpet. We don't know. Because we read of the archangel, some believe that there is only one archangel, namely Michael. And we hear about him in Jude and verse 9. Well, you may have heard some people refer to Gabriel as an archangel, but he's nowhere referred to as such in the Bible. Well, I don't like to argue from silence, and I'd suggest that we wait until that great day to see exactly who that archangel will be. And so there will be these three things, the commanding shout of the Lord, together with the voice of the archangel and the trump of God, at the sound of which the dead in Christ shall rise first. They will rise from the grave and will join those believers who are still alive in the air. We which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds. and more importantly they will all meet up with the Saviour in the air. We will meet the Lord in the air. If the Lord should return in our lifetime it will be only those of us who are believers who will meet the Lord in the air in the clouds together with all those believers who have already died. What a glorious prospect that is. And if we should die before the Lord's return, we will still be there on that great day, having risen from our graves to meet the Lord in the air. But this only applies to those who have put their trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and in his atoning, sacrificial death on the cross at Calvary. And therefore this question arises. Will I, will you, be amongst those who will meet the Lord in the air? Or will you be amongst those who are banished from the presence of the Lord forever and sent to a place of eternal punishment? Well the Thessalonian saints were concerned for their believing loved ones who had died and Paul had now explained that they had no cause to worry about them. What Paul wrote should have reassured them of this which is why he concluded with these words, wherefore comfort one another with these words. And of course we too should all be comforted by those words provided that we are trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ for our salvation and in him alone. And so this question arises, are you trusting in him? Are you trusting in Him alone? Will you meet the Saviour in the air when He comes again? Amen. Feel free to contact us at Sovereign Grace Church in Tiverton. Email us at grace2seekers at gmail.com. That's grace2seekers at gmail.com. Alternatively, you can visit our website at www.sovereigngracereformedchurch.co.uk.