1 Thessalonians 5:12-15

We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you,and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves.  And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all.  See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone.

 

Church life is all about relationships.  There are relationships between the leadership and members as well as the community at large.  Each of these relationships is unique and must be handled with special care according to the instructions of God’s Word.  The world around us is marked by broken relationships.  The church is called to stand in stark contrast to this reality.  Instead of using relationships for selfish gains, we are called to love and serve one another in all the different levels of our relationships.

 

HONOR THE LEADERS OF THE CHURCH: Those who are entrusted with the leadership of the congregation should be treated with respect.  Leading a church is not an easy thing to do and requires the admonishment and discipline of the members.  We don’t like to be admonished or disciplined.  Even though it is the best thing for us, we often react negatively when we must be corrected.  It is easy for this to bring about bitterness, resentment, and disrespect towards our leaders.  It should not be this way.  The leaders God establishes over His church should be held in high esteem because they have been placed in their position by God.  We are called to love and obey our leaders because of the importance of what they do in our lives and the kingdom.

 

HELP THE MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH: Believers are also called to love one another.  We are to be at peace with the body of Christ at large and are called to invest in one another.  This requires a sensitivity to the needs and realities we face in the relationships within the church.  There are many kinds of problems believers will face in their path towards becoming more like Christ.  Those believers who are idle or lazy must be admonished to be faithful and work to provide for their family and invest in the work of the kingdom.  There will also be believers who are discouraged by persecution, suffering, illness, or many other difficulties we face while living in a broken and sinful world.  Those who are struggling with a broken heart need encouragement, hope, and assurance that they are not alone.  New believers may be weak in their faith and face the struggles of immaturity in Christ.  Maturity and stability are developed over time with the help of loving believers.  It takes a great deal of discernment to tell the difference between the idle, discouraged, and the weak.  But if we are going to of help to one another, we need to patiently discern where people are at in their walks with Christ and lovingly help them mover forward towards Christ likeness. 

 

HEAL THE COMMUNITY OF THE CHURCH: The church is made up of sinners who have been saved by the grace of God.  When you place a group of sinners in the same group, you can be assured that they will sin against and offend one another.  As a body we are not to reject sinners because the sin or to seek some sort of revenge because they have hurt us in some way.  Since we have been forgiven, we must forgive one another and seek to bring about healing within the body of Christ.  The world will treat us with disdain, and we will offend each another in the context to the church.  When that happens, we must respond with patience, love, and doing good to those who have hurt us.  Our goal is to bring healing to others.  When believers sin, we want them to grow and experience the love of the body so they might repent.  When unbelievers offend, we want them to see the forgiveness available in Christ through our lives.  

 

APPLICATION: Treat the spiritual leaders God has established over us with love and respect.  When believers sin against us or are facing trials, patiently try to discern what is in their hearts and respond accordingly in a way that will truly help them become more like Christ.  Never seek revenge or retaliate against someone who hurts us.  Strive to being healing to their heart through forgiveness and love.

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