Word of Salvation - Vol.49 No.22 - June 2004

 

An All-Round Ministry

Sermon by Rev J Haverland

on 1 Thessalonians 5:14

 

Scripture Readings:  Titus 2; Psalm 86; 1 Thessalonians 5:12-28

 

Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The theme and purpose of this sermon, based on our text, is this: To encourage all of us to minister appropriately to the needs of others.

"Variety is the spice of life", we say. That's true. The changing of the seasons, eating ethnic foods, moving house, finding another job, going to different places - all these changes make life interesting and stimulating.

There is variety, not only in seasons and places, but also among people. Everyone is different. And this, too, makes life interesting.

But this variety also poses a challenge. It means you can't treat every person in the same way. Each person has his own private struggles and her own personal needs. This means you have to respond and react to different people in different ways. There is no "one-size-fits-all" solution, no pre-packaged formula for dealing with every situation and every person, no standardised approach for all.

So as he comes to the end of this letter, the Apostle Paul urges us to deal appropriately with different people. Pastor them according to their needs and situation. Be flexible and adaptable. Have an all-round ministry that is sensitive to where people are, that takes account of the circumstances in their lives.

He wrote about this after describing the role of the elders in the church in verses 12-13. Then he addressed the entire congregation and urged them to look after each other.

We can apply these words to ourselves. His instruction here applies to the elders and deacons and the pastor, and every person who is part of the church. Don't leave this pastoral care to the minister alone or to the other office bearers. No, this all-round ministry is for everyone. All of us are to do all of these things. What are we to do? The Apostle describes how we should deal with three specific groups of people and then how we should deal with everyone.

First of all, we must WARN THOSE WHO ARE IDLE.

This is the only place the word "idle" is used in the New Testament. It refers to those who are breaking rank, who are out of order or disorderly. The Amplified Bible has "admonish those who are out of line." The NASB translates it as 'unruly'. The word can even be translated as rebellious.

It certainly includes those who were idle - those in the church who had stopped working because they thought Jesus was going to return soon. "Why work when Jesus will appear any day!?" But 'the Devil finds work for idle hands' and so these people had become disorderly. They were loafing about, meddling in the lives of others and making a nuisance of themselves. They were failing in their duty to Christ and his church.

Warn them, says the Apostle Paul. He uses a strong and directive word that is often translated as 'admonish'. It is the same word as used in verse 12 to describe the task of the elders. But here it is something all of us must do - the whole church, everyone of us. It means we should identity the error or sin of that person and then rebuke them for it, warning and admonishing them for their behaviour.

Of course, that needs to be done with the right motive and in the right attitude. You should not do this to score points, nor to prove you are better than someone else. Nor should you do this merely out of duty. The motive must be to see this person live a life that is pleasing to God. Your attitude must be one of love. Warn him because you love him as a brother in Christ; warn her as a sister in the Lord; warn them out of genuine concern for them.

It's not easy to do this. No one enjoys admonishing or warning others. But it is necessary. It's like going in for surgery or going to the dentist. No one likes being cut open or having a tooth extracted, but you know they are necessary for the sake of your overall health and well-being. In the same way we need to deal with spiritual sickness. It must be removed, taken out, dealt with; otherwise the disease will spread and grow. For the sake of the well-being of the church you must warn the idle.

Secondly, you must ENCOURAGE THE TIMID.

Again this is the only use of the word "timid" in the New Testament. This refers to a different category of people - to those who are faint-hearted or fearful, discouraged or despondent, worried or anxious. (Literally, the word means, 'small-souls').

There were people like this in the church in Thessalonica; they were worried about those who had already died and what would become of them and they were concerned about what would happen before Jesus returned.

In a congregation this may include people who are physically sick or emotionally or spiritually depressed. In their faith and character they are easily knocked down by the difficulties and trials of life and the circumstances they are in. There are many people who find it hard to keep up with the pace of life; who can't cope in an aggressive world; who are worried about the future. They can't keep going, they lose heart, they drop out, they lose strength.

Such people do not need to be admonished; rather they need encouragement. The word used here refers to someone getting alongside of another and speaking to them. It means to speak to someone in a friendly way. It can be translated as "comfort, soothe or cheer up".

Jesus did this with people. Think of how He spoke to Jairus, to the widow at Nain, to the woman at the well, to the man born blind, to the woman caught in adultery, to the lepers. When He met people in need He spoke kindly to them, tenderly; encouraging and comforting them.

Think also of Barnabas in the book of Acts. He was known as 'the son of encouragement'. He lived up to his name. He was always helping others, urging them on, encouraging them.

Are you like that? Do you encourage others? Do you comfort those you see in need? Do you notice the situation they are in? Do you know enough about the lives of others to actually know what is going on so you can encourage them? Sometimes we can be so busy with our own private world or that of our family that we fail to notice the needs others have. We are preoccupied with ourselves and our needs and we fail to notice the needs of others. All of us could be much more encouraging than we are. The elders and deacons should be doing this, but so should all of us.

One of our hymns describes the encouragement that comes from knowing the Lord Jesus:

How sweet the name of Jesus sounds

 

In a believer's ear!

 

It soothes his sorrows, heals his wounds,

 

And drives away his fear.

 

 

 

It makes the wounded spirit whole,

 

and calms the troubled breast;

 

'tis manna to the hungry soul,

 

and to the weary rest. (Psalter Hymnal 384:1,2)

Encourage the timid.

Thirdly, we must HELP THE WEAK.

"The weak" refers to those who have little strength, who are spiritually or emotionally or morally weak. In Thessalonica there were those who were fearful of persecution; there were others who were giving way to temptation.

You could compare the church to a hospital. That's not a New Testament description of the church but it is true that the church includes many people who are sick and who need help. We are trying to get them back on their feet - helping them to be spiritually well.

The Lord has a special concern for the weak. In both the Old and New Testaments we are told to take special care of orphans and widows and the poor and the alien and those who are oppressed. Yet, sadly, often the weak are badly treated. Both Government and private organisations often treat the poor differently from the rich. The poor are oppressed and ill-treated.

That ought to remind us of the warnings of the prophets against oppression and injustice. Let's be sure we don't do treat the weak like that but that we look out for those who are frail or oppressed or disadvantaged in some way.

We need to help them. Those who are strong in faith must help those who are weak. This is the wonderful thing about being part of the church community - that there are others around you to support and assist you. That's why it is so important to keep coming to worship and to continue on in the church community. When you feel weak, you will be tempted to stay away, but that's just when you need others around you - so keep coming.

Let's also remember that God can use times of weakness and crisis and trial to do much good in our lives. These can be times of spiritual growth when we experience the power of God first-hand in a situation of weakness.

We need to help those who are weak. The word 'help' means to lay hold of, to cling to, to hold on to. If you are strong in faith you may be tempted to give up on the weak. You can't understand why they are like that; "Why don't they pull themselves together, or try harder, or get out of that mess!?" But those who are weak don't need admonishing or correcting or exhortation; they need you to hold on to them. They need a helping hand. They need your support. You need to put your arm around them and let them know you are there for them.

Are you doing that? Again, do you notice those who are weak? Do you look out for them? Are you trying to hold them up? Are you trying to think of ways you can support them? Remember, when they get on their feet they will be able to help others - they will be sympathetic to others who are weak because they understand their situation.

Finally, BE PATIENT WITH EVERYONE.

We have been considering the special needs of certain groups of people. But there are many others with a variety of needs and concerns: those who doubt, who are facing temptation, who are proud or who struggle with the sins of the flesh. Those struggling in marriage, or with being single, or who are searching for guidance.

Let's remember that we need to deal with different people in different ways; each according to their needs; each appropriate to their situation. Be prepared to be flexible. Try to understand that person and their situation. Be ready to adjust your approach. Follow the example of the Lord Jesus who understood the needs of each individual.

And be ready for the long haul. You might have tried to help someone for a while but maybe you don't see much progress. Or you may have been teaching someone for a long time and they seem very slow to learn. You might be getting frustrated with the problems in people's lives and you might be tempted to give up and toss it in. Here we need to hear the urging of the Apostle Paul: "We urge you... be patient with everyone."

Don't give up. Don't lose patience. Show forbearance. Be long-suffering. Literally the word means, "be long-tempered". Don't be short-tempered, but be long-tempered. Keep at it.

Remember that God has been patient with you. God did not give up on you. He is a "compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness" (Psalm 86:15). The Apostle Paul knew this from his own experience; he wrote that Christ Jesus had displayed in him "his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life" (1 Tim 1:16). He is still patient with his people, and even with unbelievers, not wanting anyone to perish but all to come to repentance.

Think about how patient the Lord Jesus was with His disciples. They were very slow to learn, so slow to grasp things, to catch on to who Jesus really was. They often argued amongst themselves and were jealous and competitive. They were sometimes insensitive and rude to others and arrogant and proud. But Jesus was patient. He did not give up on them. He prayed for them, rebuked them, encouraged them and helped them.

You need to do the same - be patient. This is one of the fruits of the Spirit. Pray that God will give you this characteristic.

All that has been said here is a task for everyone in the congregation - for the pastor, for the elders and deacons - and for every member. We need an all-round ministry where we help people according to their needs. But we also need an every-member ministry, where all of us are doing all these things.

The Reformers called the minister the "shepherd of shepherds". That means that all of us are to be shepherds, looking after each other, according to their own needs, according to the great variety of circumstances of their lives.

We are to do this remembering that Jesus is the Great Shepherd and that He is looking after each one us in our own situation and according to our needs. He uses us to help others.

So, warn the idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, and be patient with everyone.

Amen.