Pastor’s Notes
Now may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ.”
This week concludes our time in 1 & 2 Thessalonians and I personally want to thank you for your dedication to study and be present during the teaching of God’s word during this time. I truly believe that our time together strengthens our ability and likelihood of standing fast in faith together!
As we close, Paul asks for prayers and encourages the people to keep their eyes on the prize moving forward. In this closing plea, Paul also tells the people to separate from anyone that is not moving in the same direction. Even if that someone is a believer. Paul tells them, “Keep away from any believer who is idle or disruptive and who does not live according to the teaching you have received from us.”
This is a hard word to this group of people who are young in faith. These words are especially hard because Paul is speaking about separating from believers, not the lost. Remember the scene, these people don’t have many likeminded people in the first place around them. They are newer in faith, against the mod, and now it seems like their circle is even getting smaller. These are hard words to leave the people with.
All throughout the Bible, scripture tells us to be careful of the company that we keep, but it’s usually speaking about believers spending time with non-believers. Paul is telling us that even people who believe in God can be harmful towards our walk. The truth is, as we follow Jesus, truly pursuing Him, then the circle of people who are faithfully walking at the same pace gets smaller and smaller the closer we get to Him. Many who started the walk with you, will not end the walk with you.
This is a sad reality and breaks my heart, but the scriptures tell us that this is ok. Not only is it ok, but that we need to purposely separate when others slow our walk down with worldliness and conflict. The key in this is found in verse 15, “Yet do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.” As sinners and broken people, most of us have a hard time separating and not making those individuals our enemy. God’s word tells us that those who we separate from are still brothers and sisters, that we should still love and show kindness to them, but that we have to guard ourselves against their life to ensure that we don’t fall into the same trap.
As we close both books and all chapters in Paul’s letters to these young in faith believers, we see that the road with Jesus is hard. From the beginning we see that the people go through a complete lifestyle change, invoke the mob against them and the circle just keeps getting smaller and smaller on their journey. Faith is in fact hard. It’s hard to stand fast.
The good news that we all have to remember and go back to is that a closeness with Jesus is worth anything and everything that is deemed challenging in this life. I love all who read this and pray that God keep us in the inner circle together for many years in our pursuit of Jesus.
Stay faithful church!
Scripture to go along with the message
Read Colossians 2:6-7 as a sweet reminder of all you have been given and called to.
Highlight in your Bible
Highlight verses 13-15 in chapter 3 this week.