inserted into your bulletin was a half sheet of paper upon which you will find a skeletal outline of the morning's message and I trust that that'll help you as we go through this this morning to see what we're looking at. I'm going to read verses 1 through 8 of 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 and I'm going to have you stand in just a moment as I read. But let me say this to start with. I did not preach this message last Sunday for a reason. We did not have junior church last Sunday and I wanted to make sure that this morning that it would be adults in here to listen to this message and so I wanted to make sure that you understood that before we get into this this morning. Let's stand together as we read 1 Thessalonians chapter 4. I'll be reading verses 1 through 8. By the way, the message will be on verse 3 this morning so you know what we're looking at. The Bible says in 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 and 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 honor, 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." Let's pray. Father, as we look into this passage this morning, I pray that you would grant freedom of expression and, Lord, that our minds and our hearts would be open to what you have for us. I pray that every person here, under the sound of Your word, as it goes forth from this pulpit, would understand what is being preached and what is being taught this morning. Father, I pray that you would deal with hearts and that you would use this message for your glory. I pray in Jesus' name. Amen. You may be seated. Remember that the Thessalonian epistles, both 1 and 2 Thessalonians, is practical Christian living in light of the soon return of Jesus Christ. It seems that every year when we get to the new year, people renew afresh in their minds that Jesus Christ could come at any time. And then once the new year gets started, we kind of let that go. But we need to remember That we are to be living a Christian life in light of the soon return of Jesus Christ. Every chapter of this book concludes with a reference to the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. So let me ask you something. In light of his soon return, what kind of an impact is that having upon you? We know that when He shall appear, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is, and every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. That's the impact that ought to have on you, 1 John 3, 2 and 3. 1 Peter 3, 12 and 14, looking for, or that is, expecting and hasting, or being eager unto the coming of the day of God. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that you look for such things, be diligent that you may be found of him in peace, without spot and blameless. You will note from the scriptures that the impact it ought to have on your life is that it ought to be where you are living a holy life, without spot and blameless, living pure lives. To look at most Christians' lives today, you would see or you would think that most are not truly expecting the soon return of Jesus Christ, that they are not eager for His return. How do we know? Because of their lifestyle, because of the way that they live. And Paul addresses that to these Thessalonian believers, who, by the way, are very young in Christ. So for some review, verses 1 through 12 are instructions he gives concerning Christians who are awake, and then verses 13 to 18, instructions concerning Christians who are asleep, those who have fallen asleep in Christ. Instructions concerning Christians who are awake. What do you as a believer need to know in light of the fact that Jesus is soon to return? He will bring with him those who sleep in Jesus. should impact those who are awake in Jesus. As His coming gets nearer, you should make progress in your Christian living. That's verses 1 through 8. Notice what it says in the last part of verse one, so ye would abound more and more. So I say again that you ought to be making progress in your Christian living in two ways. Number one, in your conduct generally. We saw that in verse 1, by obeying what had been received. Paul says, as ye have received of us, and he talks about how ye ought to walk and to please God. Right walking results in pleasing God. So by obeying what has been received in your conduct generally, secondly by obeying what had been given, ought to affect your conduct generally. Verse 2 talks about what commandments we gave you. by the Lord Jesus. He's the authority. Let me stop there for just a moment. This morning what I'm going to be talking about and what I'm going to be preaching does not come from me. This is not my opinion. This is by authority of the Lord Jesus, verse 2, by the Lord Jesus. So what Paul is going to say in verse 3 is on authority of the Lord Jesus. And that brings us to the second point under making progress in Christian living, that we need to make progress in Christian living not only in our conduct generally, but in our conduct explicitly. And this is going to get explicit. Explicitly, verses 3 through 8. Now notice the first word of verse 3. The first word is for. That word for expresses a continuation of thought. It continues what you saw in verse 1 where Paul says, how ye ought to walk and to please God for this is the will of God. So he's continuing the thought of verse 1, would you like to please God? Would you like to live a life that pleases Him? If so, here's the continuation of that thought of verse 3. For, and then it says, this is the will of God. The word will has the idea of the desire. This is God's will for you. This is God's desire for you. You know, if you want to please someone, you find out what they desire. Gentlemen, if you want to please your wife with a gift this Christmas, don't buy her a shovel or a hammer. Unless that would please her. And you generally would not do that. You're going to do what pleases her. If you walk in a way to please God, you will do what he desires. The Bible is plain, look at it. This is A desire of God. This is the will of God. God's will is clear. Here it is. There's no article before the word will. And so this signifies that what follows is not the whole will of God, but this is always included in the will of God. People may ask what the will of God is for their life. Well, here it is. What is it? It's summed up in one word. Sanctification. For this is the will of God, even your sanctification. Would you say that word with me, please? Sanctification. That's God's will for you. Sanctification. This word shares the same root with the word holy. It shares the same root with the word saint. Go back to chapter three, verse 13, right at the very end, it talks about Jesus coming with all his saints, his holy ones. This word, sanctification, in chapter four, verse three, shares the same root as the word saint. Sanctification, like justification, is an initial instantaneous act of God's grace to the believer. Listen, the day you got saved, you were justified, but you were also sanctified. Go with me, please, back to 1 Corinthians 1. 1 Corinthians 1. The day you got saved, you were sanctified. Chapter 1 and verse 2, unto the church of God, which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus called saints. Sanctified in Christ Jesus. Go to chapter 6 of 1 Corinthians. Note verse 11. And such were some of you, but ye are washed, but ye are, there it is again, ye are sanctified, but ye are justified. Positionally, as a believer in Christ, you are sanctified, you are holy. Think about 2 Corinthians 5 verse 21. For he, that is God, hath made him, Jesus Christ, to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. A believer stands in the presence of God completely holy. Not because what he has done, the believer, but because of what God has done. That is positional sanctification. But that position should develop into lifestyle character, what we call progressive sanctification. You see, by the way I live, it ought to match my standing. Some people don't understand what sanctification is all about, and they get mixed up between positional sanctification and progressive sanctification. Positionally in Christ, I am sanctified. My life ought to match that. Do I still sin as a believer? Yes, I do. And I'll never really come up to this complete holiness in this life. There are some people who believe that, you know, you can come to sinless perfection. That is not what the Bible teaches. The Bible teaches that I ought to strive for sinless perfection, but I will never attain that. Paul admits that in Philippians chapter 3. Positionally, I'm sanctified in Christ. I ought to be progressively growing in sanctification and in holiness. You say, where's that? We'll go down to verse 7 of chapter 4 of 1 Thessalonians. For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. There, Paul is talking about living a holy life. Peter has to admonish the believers, Be ye holy, for I am holy, saith the Lord. So I've got to be admonished to live a holy life. God's will for every Christian is Christ-likeness. So your position in Christ is that you are sanctified. Your practice in life should be that you are progressing in sanctification. Now, if you claim to be a Christian and you are not progressing in holiness, you have a problem. If you're not living a holy life and you claim to be a Christian, I have the right as a Christian to judge. Because I'm a fruit inspector. Ye shall know them by their fruits, Jesus said in Matthew chapter seven. I have the right to judge and to say to you, brother, sister, I really doubt your salvation because your life does not back up what you claim to have. And so out of concern and love for that other believer, professing believer, I would confront them and say, something doesn't match up here. Here it is. God's will for you is your sanctification. It's holiness, to put it in another way. God desires your holiness. Being set apart to God for a purpose is that word holiness. You can rent, down in Denver, the Hilton, and you can stay in the Hilton overnight, but you cannot rent the governor's mansion. Why? Because the governor's mansion has been sanctified in a secular way, or set apart for a special purpose. Folks, the believer has been set apart for God. He or she is a saint, a set apart one for a particular purpose. Somebody said that the salvation of an individual results not only in the transformation of the soul on the inside, but there is also a remarkable change on the outside characterized by purity of life. Why do we even have to address this today? Because there are those who say that your life doesn't matter. D. Martin Lloyd-Jones, a pastor evangelist from the last century, in a 1971 address entitled, What is an evangelical? I'm gonna give you a quote from that, but let me say this first. He differentiates new evangelicals from evangelicals. His identification of an evangelical is closer to what a fundamentalist would be today. So don't understand this as the new evangelical crowd. I think this is interesting. He said this, evangelicals pay great attention to the way in which people live. They are strict in their behavior. People used to describe evangelicals in these terms. Ah, they're the people who don't go to cinemas. They don't drink. They don't smoke. I do not think they say that about them now. This is in 1971. There has been a great change, but I am one of those who believe that there was a great deal to be said for the old position. The evangelical is careful about his life, careful to maintain good works, to live a life above reproach, not to be a hindrance or an obstacle to a weaker brother. The great ethic, the emphasis on holiness of the New Testament, is something which true evangelicals have always set great store by. They were called Puritans for that reason. They did not merely content themselves with an intellectual belief. The emphasis on holiness in personal life and in church life is a great characteristic of evangelicalism. That's recorded in a book called Knowing the Times. A book of the addresses that D. Martin Lloyd-Jones gave. Holiness. Holiness. Three times here in 1 Thessalonians 4 between verses 3 and 8 you'll find that word sanctification or holiness. Let's find them. Look at verse 3. You already know where that word sanctification is there for this is the will of God even your sanctification. Verse 4, that every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification. There's the second occurrence. And then go down to verse 7, for God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. That's the same word sanctification, translated sanctification, in verses 3 and 4. What is the emphasis here? The emphasis, folks, is holiness. Now, remember the city of Thessalonica and where the city is located. It's located on a seaport. Sailors are coming in all the time. What's the reputation sailors have? It is an accurate reputation. This is on a main highway, lots of travelers coming through. What kind of reputation does a city get when it's a main hub? You get all kinds of people coming through, exposed to a lot of immorality, these people in Thessalonica would be. Think about the message of holiness that Paul is preaching to the newly saved in an environment like that. Think about his message of holiness in the environment in which we live today. Think about the message of holiness that these new believers would have to accept from the Apostle Paul back then and think about how people accept it today. Because what Paul is gonna talk about here is so prevalent and it is so accepted that I know some people are gonna shut me off when I get into this. Even your sanctification, is what Paul says in verse 3, that's the will of God even your sanctification and that is followed by three infinitives translated with the word that identify them with me for this is the will of God even your sanctification next word that ye should abstain from fornication here's the second one in verse 4 that every one of you should know how to possess And the next one is found in verse six, that no man go beyond and defraud his brother. Those are my three points that I'm gonna make. Not all this morning. I'm gonna make that first point this morning. Let me say this folks, being set apart to God, being holy is known by explicit conduct. Holiness instructs the believer in how he regards, and here are my three main points, or three sub points, A, B, and C, that you're gonna find here. In regards to his bed. In regards to, letter B, his body. In regards to, letter C, his brother. His bed, his body, his brother. And it follows that outline. His bed, verse three, his body, verses four and five, his brother, verses six to eight. This morning I want us to look at verse three. Holiness instructs the believer in how he guards his bed. Bed is euphemism of intimacy of marriage. As you'll see in Hebrews 13, four, marriage is honorable in all and the bed undefiled. but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge. The bed is euphemism for the intimacy of marriage. If you're gonna please God, notice what it says in verse four, excuse me, verse three, that ye should abstain. In other words, you should keep away from something. Something that has appeal. Something that has a pull. Otherwise, no need to abstain. And that's in the present tense, that ye should be abstaining. That present tense emphasizes that the Thessalonians must constantly keep themselves away from something. Why? Because it is an ever-present temptation. And it is a powerful temptation. It is something that you are gonna face all your life. to abstain from something that Paul mentions here. This is why, ladies, you must abstain from romance novels and soap operas. This is why, gentlemen, you must abstain from developing close relationships with women other than your wife. Constantly keeping away And the fact that the reader is commanded to abstain implies he must be self-disciplined with the power of the Holy Spirit, but he must be self-disciplined. There's the word abstain. Abstain from what? Fornication. Although there's more to holiness than sexual purity, sexual purity is an important part of it. Your holiness involves keeping yourself away from fornication. That word fornication refers to sexual intercourse performed outside the bonds of marriage. Fornication includes sex before marriage. Hebrews chapter 13, I just read it, includes Sex before marriage. Fornication includes sex outside of marriage. It includes homosexuality. It includes lesbianism. It includes bestiality. It includes et cetera, et cetera. That's the word fornication. You know what? Folks, the Bible has an answer for AIDS. It's called abstinence. The Bible has the answer to STDs. It's called abstinence. To all the social diseases, it's called abstain. A preacher once said that God's commandments concerning sex are not for the purpose of robbing people of joy, but rather of protecting them, that they might not lose their joy. Thou shalt not commit adultery builds a wall around marriage that makes the relationship not a prison, but a safe and beautiful garden. I want you to go with me to 1 Corinthians chapter 7 because in this chapter, in verse 2, you're going to note that marriage is a one man and one woman relationship. 1 Corinthians 7, 2. I'm going to read the second part of that verse, let every man, how many men? How many men are talked about here? Let every man, is man plural or singular? It's singular. Have his own wife, singular or plural? Singular. And let every woman, singular or plural? Singular. Have her own husband, singular or plural? It's singular. Let every man have his own wife and let every woman have her own husband. Each is singular. This enables each to avoid what the first part of the verse says, nevertheless to avoid fornication. One man, one woman, regardless of what the society says, regardless of people who don't understand this, including our president, regardless of what anybody says, that's a one man, one woman relationship. It is such a strong desire, fornication, that Paul has to write this in the previous chapter in 1 Corinthians. Look at 1 Corinthians 6. Look at verse 18. Two words in one sentence. Two words. Flee fornication. Flee it! Notice what he continues to say, every sin that a man doeth is without the body, but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which you have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's. In the context, folks, you are not glorifying God in your body or in your spirit if you are involved in fornication. Your body is not your own, it is God's. Therefore, do what He desires. And this is the desire of God that you abstain from fornication. Folks, there's licentiousness all around us. And this day, it was even in the religious temples. This is something that is really hard to fathom. When you go back in ancient history, you go to the cities of Thessalonica, you go to Corinth especially. And in Corinth, There was something taking place I'm going to quote to you in just a moment. One commentator said the Thessalonians lived in a pagan environment in which sexual looseness was not only practiced openly, but was also encouraged. By the way, does that sound like today? In Greek religion, prostitution was considered a priestly prerogative, and extramarital sex was sometimes an act of worship. Priestesses were in the temples for the service of the men who came. The temple at Corinth housed 3,000 religious harlots. Paul is in Corinth, that very city, writing this to the Christians in Thessalonica where the same kind of environment was in place. And it's all politically sanctioned. Does that sound like us today? Folks, just because the U.S. government or a certain administration sanctions deviancy and perversity, making it legal for pagans does not make it right for a believer. Just because Hollywood does not consider fornication a sin does not make it any less sinful. I think all of us probably have seen television commercials, and I used to see one that was called Californication. I never watched it, but I got curious about it and went to Wikipedia. Here they are advertising for everybody to watch this show. Californication, can you think about the term, think about the term itself, is an American comedy drama television series which aired for seven seasons on Showtime from August 13, 2007 to June 29, 2014. The show follows a troubled novelist who moves to California and suffers from writer's block. His drinking, womanizing, and drug abuse complicate his relationships with his longtime lover and their daughter. Recurring themes are sex, drugs, and rock and roll. I wonder why I walk in rock and roll. All of which are featured regularly. The show has been nominated for many awards and won several, including winning two Emmy Awards, nominated for two others, and one Golden Globe Award, nominated for five others. You see, we live in the same society that these Thessalonian believers lived in. We have to face the same kind of stuff. It's almost like advertising. I'm on my way to hell and I don't mind it at all. I want to end this message by looking at the instances where the Bible mentions this sin of fornication. I tried to do this in order of the books as they appear in the New Testament, so I want us to go back to Matthew, Matthew chapter 5. And I hope this is helpful as you look at your outline. I'm going to give these references. Fornication is so wicked that it alone is the exception for divorce. Look at Matthew chapter 5 and verse 32. But I say unto you, this is Jesus speaking, 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. It's an exception. This is called the exception clause. Go to chapter 19. and verse 9 of Matthew. Jesus says, And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery. And whoso marrieth her that is put away, doth commit adultery. It is a wicked, a sin that is so wicked that it alone is the exception for divorce. Fornication comes from the heart. It's not just an outward thing. Go back to Matthew 15. Notice verse 19. Jesus says, for out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. It comes from the heart. It's not just an outward thing. Fornication demands separation from another Christian who practices it. Go to 1 Corinthians chapter 5. First Corinthians chapter 5, if there is another believer who is involved in this kind of a lifestyle, it demands separation from that person. That's why in a church, if someone is involved in this as a member, they are disciplined out of the church. 1 Corinthians chapter 5, please note verses 10 and 11. Start with verse 9, I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators, yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters, for then must ye needs go out of the world. But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator. And the last part of the verse says, no, don't even eat with him. It demands separation from another Christian who practices it. 1 Corinthians chapter 6, fornication excludes those who practice it from the kingdom of God. Please note 1 Corinthians chapter 6 verse 9. Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived. What's the very first thing mentioned? Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate. The effeminate is a homosexual. He's the soft one. And then it says nor abusers of themselves with mankind. That's a homosexual. He's the one who's the tough guy. Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners shall what? None shall inherit the kingdom of God. Folks, that's what the Bible says. I don't. They will not inherit the kingdom of God. Therefore, I can say that somebody who practices the lifestyle of fornication is not a Christian. And a practicing homosexual is not a Christian. Somebody who is practicing stealing is not a Christian. That's what the Bible says, they will not inherit the kingdom of God. But here's the good news, verse 11, and such were some of you. Such were. Some of you used to be this way. Here's the good news, folks. You can change by the power of the Lord Jesus Christ. By confessing your sin, confessing this as a sin that grieves God and getting right with God. Such were some of you, but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified. You're justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the spirit of our God. Now, if God saves you from that, it is impossible for a Christian to continue to practice it and truly be a Christian. It excludes those who practice from the kingdom of God. Fornication is not of the spirit, but is a work of the flesh. Look at Galatians chapter five and verse 19. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these, adultery, fornication." It is not of the spirit, it is a work of the flesh. Ephesians chapter 5 and verse 3, fornication ruins a Christian's testimony. Ephesians 5, 3, but fornication, I'm going to jump to the last part of the verse, let it not be once named among you as becometh saints." Don't let it be named among you. It ruins a Christian's testimony. Now Colossians chapter 3. Fornication is overcome by loving the right thing. Notice what it says in Colossians chapter 3 Verse two, set your affection, set your love on things above, not on things on the earth. Then notice what it says in verse five, mortify or put to death your members which are upon the earth. Very first thing mentioned, fornication, put it to death. Love the right things, set your affection on things above. Put to death those things which are sinful. And lastly, fornication is contrary to sound doctrine. Go with me to 1 Timothy 1. Notice the things that are contrary to sound doctrine. You're going to see the phrase contrary to sound doctrine in the last part of verse 10. So let's start with verse 9, knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man. I'm in 1 Timothy 1, verse 9. but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, those people who are murderers, for whoremongers, there's the word fornicators, for them that defiled themselves with mankind, that's homosexuals, for men stealers, kidnappers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine. Fornication, all those other sins are contrary to sound doctrine. Folks, if you desire to walk and to please God, even as Paul is admonishing these believers in Thessalonica, you will want to know what God's desire is. And God's desire is your sanctification. God's desire is your holiness. Folks, you cannot be living a holy life, you cannot be holy inside if it doesn't show on the outside. Sanctification. And here, sanctification is explicitly stated as keeping yourself away from fornication. May you And I, in the power of the Holy Spirit, abstain from fornication in every way, so that we may live a life that pleases Him, doing what He desires.