The Model Life: Aspiration

Take your Bibles and turn with me to the fourth chapter of 1st Thessalonians and as you're turning I want to remind you of the story of a young man who in the spring of 1871 Read 21 words That changed his life Forever They had a profound effect on Upon his future he was a medical student at the Montreal General Hospital And he was worried about Passing his final exams He was anxious and worried about what would happen after He graduated He was worried about where he would go and where he would live He was anxious about how he'd ever build a practice He was worried about how he would ever Make a living the 21 words that this young medical student read in 1871 Helped him to become the most famous physician of his generation He organized the world-famous Johns Hopkins School of Medicine He became Regis professor of medicine at Oxford the highest honor that can be bestowed upon any medical man in the British Empire He was knighted by the King of England when he died two huge volumes containing 1466 pages were required to tell the story of his life His name is Sir William Osler Here are the 21 words that he read in the spring of 1871 that profoundly changed his life that led him to a life free of Worry and anxiety these 21 words are these our main business Is not to see what lies dimly at a distance But to do what lies clearly at?

hand our main business is Not to see What lies dimly at a distance? But to truly observe what Lies clearly before me That's my business You know we get so agitated so anxious Even afraid about what's going to happen tomorrow or next week or next month We live life in a state of of worry Instead of understanding that there are things that lie clearly at hand That need to be accomplished Jesus Said it this way in Matthew's gospel He said So do not worry about tomorrow For tomorrow will care for itself Each day has enough trouble of Its own Jesus said don't worry about tomorrow You can't control tomorrow You might not even be around tomorrow Because this day each day Has enough trouble of its own that you need to deal with Paul would later say it this way see then that you walk circumspectly not as fools, but as wise men redeeming the time grasping every opportunity for the sake of eternal glory Making the most of each situation buying back every moment for the sake of eternity He would later go on to say in Colossians chapter 3 Walk wisely toward those who are on the outside Be wise in your daily conduct Because those on the outside are observing Moses Said it this way in Psalm 90 verse number 12 Teach us to number our days That we might apply our hearts Unto wisdom teach us to account for each and every day So that in those days We can live wisely St.

Augustine on those words said this We can never apply our hearts unto wisdom except we number every day as If it was our last day Think about that number every day as if it was your last Day if this was your last day, what would you do differently? If this was your last day on earth, how would you live your life? Would you live it any differently than what you're living right now? Teach us to number our days that we might apply our hearts unto wisdom teach us to look at every day as if it was Our last day and live it as such Do you do that that's why Paul said in 2nd Corinthians 6 now is the acceptable time Today is the day of salvation Not tomorrow because you have no guarantee of tomorrow Not next week, but today Act wisely For now is the acceptable time The right of Hebrews would say it this way today Not tomorrow, but today if you hear his voice Do not harden your hearts is in the day of provocation in the wilderness He would repeat that several times and he would step to three because he wanted to you to recognize the urgency of the moment Today is the day of salvation Not tomorrow.

I Wonder how well you have numbered your days. I Wonder if you're living today as If it were your last day Would you do anything different than you're going to do or you already have done obviously you've redeemed this moment because You're worshiping with the people of God So you've bought this moment back for the sake of eternity But how about the rest of this day? How about these moments? Let's just say this is the last day of your life Would you live? the model life That's what Paul's emphasis is in the fourth and fifth chapter of 1st Thessalonians How to live the model life the life that exemplifies Christ?

The life that's to be emulated by others because you live a life that glorifies and and puts his name on display he says First of all at the first mark of the model life is that you live a life of staining from sexual immorality That's first Thessalonians 4 verse number 3 This is the will of God even your sanctification that you abstain from sexual immorality That's his injunction.

So the model life is a life of abstinence It abstains from anything that's immoral anything that will bring a reproach upon the name of Christ But now Paul moves on from that mark to a new mark On how we are to model our life And the model life is not just marked by a life of abstinence but it's marked by a life of aspiration There are certain things you are to aspire to and they happen each and every day That will help you redeem the time And help you number your day Help you to use each moment for the sake of eternity To help you not to observe those things that clearly lie that dimly lie at a distance, but actually to Conquer the things at hand To make sure that you live the life that God wants you to live right now The model life happens today not tomorrow because you have no guarantee of tomorrow You have guarantee of this very moment So Paul is going to outline for us the life of aspiration the things that you to aspire to right now and They're not quite what you think they are So let me read them to you first Thessalonians 4 verses 9 to 12 Paul says Now as to the love of the brethren you have no need for anyone to write to you For you yourselves are taught by God to love one another For indeed you do practice it toward all the brethren who are on all Macedonia But we urge you brethren to excel still more and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands Just as we commanded you So that you will behave properly Toward outsiders and not be in Any need this is the life the model life that the believer aspires to Two things aspire to live to love Abundantly and Aspire to live Appropriately Aspire to live to love abundantly He says now as to the love for the brethren Now he has emphasized this quite frequently in Thessalonians their love one for another But he wants their love for one another to excel even all the more He wants them to go above and beyond The normal he wants them to love Abundantly he says You have no need For anyone to write to you about loving one another In other words, you don't need me to instruct you anymore on How you ought to love one another?

Why Because you are God taught You've been taught by God It's a word used one time in the New Testament Theododactos You're God taught I Don't need to teach you Because you're already taught. How are they taught? They are taught by God. How does God teach you? Turn to Romans chapter 5 verse number 5 Paul says The love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit Who was given to us? This is so important Paul says that the love of God has been shed abroad in your hearts. It's been poured out into your heart By the Holy Spirit Who's within us in the Holy Spirit is a resident truth teacher So Paul says as To loving one another as to loving the brethren There is no need for me to say anything else to you that I've already said Why because God has already taught you How to love one another?

This is so important to understand He says I want you to excel even all the more Because your love for the for the brethren is not just in Thessalonica, but in all throughout, Macedonia You've shown hospitality to strangers You've reached out to those in need You have met the needs of other people and Your love is well known But I want you to excel even all the more in your love for one another because no one's love is ever perfect You can always grow in your love toward One another but there's no need for me to teach you because you're already God taught It's like You don't have to teach fish how to swim Fish don't go to school to learn how to swim.

Although they swim in schools You don't have to have someone teach him how to swim birds Don't have anyone teach him how to fly Fish swim birds fly and Christians love one another It's part of our spiritual DNA We are partakers of his divine nature Peter tells us and Because we're partakers of God's divine nature Part of our spiritual DNA is the fact that God's love has been shed abroad So much in our hearts that the Holy Spirit is that resident truth teacher that explains to us and teaches us how?

to love one Another listen how John says it in 1st John chapter 2 verse number 9 The one who says he is in the light and yet hates his brother is in darkness until now The one who loves his brother abides in the light and there is no cause for stumbling In him in other words If you're children of the light Then the love you have for one another is already there He goes on to say in chapter 3 verse number 14 We know that we have passed out of death into life Because we love the brethren He who does not love abides in death Verse 7 of chapter 4 Beloved let us love one another for love is from God and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God the one who does not love does not know God for God is love Verse 12.

No one has seen God at any time If we love one another God abides in us and His love is perfected in us verse 19 of chapter 4 We love because he first loved us If someone says I love God and hates his brother He is the liar For the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen And this commandment we have from him That the one who loves God should love his brother Also loving one another is who we are and so in order to buy back each moment in order to Number each day as if it was your last day Love one another Abundantly Don't harbor grudges Don't live in the realm of bitterness If this was your last day on life, would you bitter towards someone else?

If this was your last day on earth, would would you hold a grudge against someone else? Teach us to number our days that we might apply our hearts into wisdom If this was your last day, how would you love? One another how would you manifest that? How would you demonstrate to someone that you truly? Love them Peter says it this way first Peter chapter 4.

He says the end of all things is near The end is coming. It's next he says Therefore be of sound judgment sober for the purpose of sober spirit for the purpose of prayer above all Keep fervent in your love for one another above everything else Love abundantly keep fervent in your love for one another It's an athletic term that means to to stretch and to strain as far as you can As as far as you possibly can go Love one another because love covers a multitude of sins Because the end is next it's coming Be of sober spirit be of sound mind But above everything else love one another Fervently reach out as far as you can to show someone else Christ And you can do that Because the love of god has already been shed abroad in your hearts It's already encompassed you It's already filled you And the spirit of god is there to teach you how to love one another Paul would say over in chapter 5 of 1st.

Thessalonians these words He would say That in verse 13 You should esteem your leaders very highly in love because of their work live in peace with one another We urge you brethren admonish the unruly encourage the faint-hearted help the weak be patient with everyone See that no one repays another with evil for evil But always seek after that which is good for one another and for all people That's the way you would love one another abundantly That's how you'd redeem the time That's how you'd live your last day if today was your last day Love abundantly I was taken back this past wednesday night When our young people gathered together And they wrote notes To one individual in our church as I read the notes My eyes filled up with tears As our young people gathered together to write notes of love and appreciation To just one person in our church, I was struck by this one Thank you the student says For loving us Even though You've never met us I thought about that for a moment.

I thought wow Isn't that great? Here's a high school student or junior high student. Not sure which one it was Who thanks an individual in our church For loving them Even though they've never met them Because you see that's part of our spiritual dna That's who we are That's why when you when you leave And go on vacation and go to another church you find people that are of like precious faith and you're part of that assembly and you can love them and they can love you because We have the same spiritual dna And so if today was your last day Love Abundantly That's what lies clearly at hand That's what you do in the moment You reach out unconditionally Volitionally Beneficially for someone else That you might encourage them Lift them Help them Move them on to maturity Because you want to show them christ By this shall all men know you're my disciples Simply because you have love one toward Another and so paul says aspire To love Abundantly number two Aspire To live Appropriately And he chooses three areas Areas that you and I would not choose would not even think of But paul does because he wants you to live a model life So he says these words in first thessalonians 4 lead a quiet Life Lead a quiet life You would think that if this was your last day It'd be a loud life a noisy life A celebratory kind of life Paul says lead A quiet life And it's really interesting how he says it Because he says it in the original this way make it your ambition To be at rest Eagerly strive To have no ambition Work hard at being quiet.

It's a life of tranquility It's a life of peace It's a life of calmness It's a life of rest Rest When he talks about leading a quiet life he's talking about the person who is not living a life of worry a life of anxiety A life that's afraid of tomorrow or the next day. You don't have tomorrow. You only have today Stop thinking about tomorrow take no thought for tomorrow. Jesus says Because each day is enough trouble of its own.

What about today? I'm not saying you shouldn't plan for the future I'm not saying anything like that. I'm saying look when it comes to living your life what lies clearly in hand is that you lead a quiet life a tranquil life a calm life a peaceable life This is an internal quality Because we live in a world that's agitated We live in a world that's that's out of control we live in a world that that's concerned about tomorrow in the future What's gonna what's gonna happen? down the road Don't know Don't care Because I got this moment right now To be at peace in my soul to lead a quiet life Do you lead a quiet life Do you need a life free from anxiety or you live a life of complete and total nervousness Not knowing what's going to happen in the next moment or the next day or the next week because you're so consumed With things you have no control over paul says you need to lead a quiet Life I love I love what the psalmist says in psalm 37 Verse number one do not fret do not worry.

Do not be anxious. He says because of evildoers Be not envious of wrongdoers For they will wither quickly like the grass and fade like the green herbs But instead trust in the lord do good dwell on the land And feed on the faithfulness of god Delight yourself in the lord He will give you the desires of your heart Commit your way to the lord trust also in him and he will do it He will bring forth your righteousness as the light and your judgment as the noon day rest in the lord and wait patiently for him Do not worry.

Do not fret Because of him who prospers in his way because the man who carries out wicked schemes Cease from anger forsake wrath Do not worry do not fret it only leads to evil doing that's what paul says and First testimony is for lead a quiet life It's simply because You're at peace with god And because you're at peace with god you have the peace of god And isaiah tells us that those whose mind is fixed on thee remain in a steadfast kind of peace A supernatural kind of peace Jesus said my peace I give unto you Not as the world gives but my peace I give unto you the kind of peace that allows you to sleep On a boat in the middle of a storm while everyone else is anxious and worried and fretting About whether or not they will ever make it to the other side but as a believer You lead a quiet life A tranquil life A life of peace A life of calm a life of rest A life of tranquility Because you're at peace with god you have the peace of god And therefore you rest in trust Not just in his presence But in all of his promises Do you lead a quiet life?

When people see you what do they see a ball of nerves All Didn't ready to explode because you don't know what's going to happen next or how things are going to turn out tomorrow Or do they see someone who's at ease? Because they know that god's in control of everything That's why on on wednesday night. We we shared in ecclesiastes 7 Where solomon says the end of a matter? the end of a matter Is better than its beginning The end of a matter is better than its beginning So then he says patience and spirit Is better than haughtiness of spirit And then he says Do not be eager in your heart to be angry For anger resides in the bosom of fools Do not say why is it that the former days were better than these?

For it is not from wisdom That you ask about this Solomon says that that the end of a matter is better than its beginning relax calm down Lead a quiet life Have a patient spirit don't become arrogant in your spirit trying to control everything demand everything And certainly don't become angry at what's happening Because that doesn't help anything Doesn't produce anything And for certain don't say wow, I wish things were the way they used to be Because only the foolish man says that Wise man doesn't say that Because he's always looking to see what god's going to do in and through his life You lead a quiet life a life of inner tranquility Because you're at peace with god And you have the peace of god that rules In your heart, that's what paul says in colossians 3 16.

Let the peace of god Rule in your heart. Let the very fact that you're at peace with god Be the umpire in your heart. What's the umpire do umpire calls all the shots strike one strike two That's not a strike. It's a strike. You're out umpire calls all the shots Let the peace of god call the shots The very fact that you're on god's side at peace with him let him call the shots That's that's leading a quiet life and then he says this attend To your own business I love that mind your own business Boy, we love to meddle in everybody else's business, don't we?

But if this was the last day on earth, this was your last day would you meddle in everybody else's affairs No You'd let them alone Paul says mind your own business In fact, you know he'd reiterate this in second thessalonians.

Look what he says second thessalonians chapter Three he says this For we hear verse 11 that some among you are leading an undisciplined life Doing no work at all But acting like busy bodies Do you know that a person who meddles in other person's affairs lives an undisciplined life not a disciplined life And paul says you're acting like busy bodies.

What is a busy body? A busy body is somebody who is busy with somebody else's body instead of their own body Paula says look Because each day has enough trouble of its own You need to make sure that your life is right Stop worrying about somebody else's life You ever notice that that somebody's always worried about somebody else's marriage should be instead working on their marriage Somebody's always worried about the behavior of somebody else's children instead of working on the behavior of their own children Paul says mind your own business You want to live this day as if it were your last Stay out of other people's affairs And mind your own business attend to your own business And that's what Sir, william osler read Don't worry about what lies dimly in the future But do the business of what lies clearly At hand and that is to mind your own business Not somebody else's solomon speaks to this in the book of proverbs proverbs chapter 26 Like one who takes a dog by his ears Is he who passes by and meddles with strife not belonging to him?

Never grab a dog by its ears It doesn't end well So too when you are buying metal in somebody else's business, it doesn't end. Well, I can recall growing up And my church was just a hop skip and a jump away from my high school So when I was a freshman and sophomore When football practice was over or baseball practice was over because I played both of those sports On wednesday nights I had to walk because I didn't drive I had to walk from the high school To church because we had church on wednesday nights A lot of times I would get there before anybody else did because practice was let out early or For whatever occasion I would sit on the steps because the doors were locked waiting for someone to come and open the door And usually it was my parents who would come because my father was an elder in the church And he would come and lock the doors But I would sit there And I would constantly ask my mom and dad the same question Why is it I have to be here on wednesday nights when no one else my age is here on wednesday nights My dad used to always say That's not my business They're not my kids If they were my kids they would be here, but they're not my kids.

You're my son Because you're my son you will be here Because I hold accountability before god for you. I'm not accountable to god For them their fathers are But i'm accountable to god for you you will be here on wednesday nights I never got out of that I was always there And my dad used to always remind me of of those verses in john 21 When the lord says to peter, do you love me? I asked him three times and of course, there's that question going back and forth with jesus and peter And finally jesus says these words.

He says truly truly I say to you when when you were younger you used to gird yourself and walk wherever you wish But when you grow old you will stretch out your hands and someone else will gird you and bring you where you do not wish to go Now this he said signifying what kind of death He peter would glorify god When he's spoken this he said to him Do you follow me peter Do you love me? Yes lord Okay You're going to die for me You're going to stretch out your hands Signifying of crucifixion and you're going to die for me So now peter follow me verse 20 peter turning around Saw the disciple whom jesus loved following them the one who had Leaned back on the bosom at the supper and said lord who is the one who betrays you?

So peter seeing him that is john said to jesus lord And what about john? What about him? Does he have to follow you too Is he going to die too And jesus says to peter what business is that of yours?

You follow Me don't worry about john worry about your own life peter Worry about doing what you're called to do peter Don't worry about john or or james or Nathaniel or matthew forget about those guys Mind your own business peter follow me Paul says And first that's what he's for Peter Live appropriately Lead a quiet life it speaks to internal tranquility Attend to your own business that speaks of your personal responsibility Look out for your own life Make sure you're following christ Make sure you're honoring christ Make sure you're dealing with sin in your own life Make sure you're loving others appropriately Make sure you're honoring god with your speech attend to your own business Not someone else's quite a a different take on Living the last day of your life love abundantly Live appropriately How do you do that By making sure you lead a quiet life attend to your own business and work with your own hands This is occupational integrity Work with your own hands Well, why would he say that look what he says over in second thessalonians?

Second thessalonians I'm, sorry. Yes chapter three He says Verse 11 for we hear that some among you are leading an undisciplined life doing no work at all But acting like busybodies now such persons we command and exhort in the lord Jesus christ to work in quiet fashion and eat their own bread But as for you brethren do not grow weary of doing good In fact, if anyone does not obey our instruction about what not being a busybody and not working with his own hands Take special note of that person And do not associate with him What Don't associate with him Why so he will be put to shame yet.

Do not regard him as an enemy but admonish him as a brother In other words, look don't hang around the undisciplined because you're going to become undisciplined Don't do that admonish that person to work with his own hands to lead a quiet life to attend to his own business Very important One Paul recognized the value of each moment of each day knowing That you only have this day to live Love abundantly and live appropriately Lead a quiet life Attend to your own business And then work with your own hands You know when you go to work As a christian You should be the best employee there everyone should see should see your work ethic First one there last one to leave Volunteering to do the extra work the hard work Looking to work more days not less days Being the kind of employee that brings honor to its boss first timothy chapter 6 verses 1 and 2 speak about bringing honor To your unsaved boss so that god's name was not blasphemed or spoken evil of in the workplace I don't know what these christians were doing Maybe they were anticipating the lord's return and they felt that they shouldn't do much work anymore They should just kind of wait for christ to come again, and we'll talk about this next week and first number 13 to 18 Paul says you got to go to work You got to provide for yourself You got to take care of your own life and you got to go to work work is honorable Listen work is not a result of the curse We think that well, you got to go to work boy If adam wouldn't have sinned we wouldn't have to go to work.

No adam was working before he sinned He was tilling the garden. He was managing the garden. He was in charge of those things sweat is a result of the curse Fatigue is a result of the curse not work work is honorable Paul God created you to work to live in a way that that honors the lord And so paul is saying There's an occupational integrity that must ring true in your life That when you go to work you work hard You work well You be the best employee possible Why because you live in a world where people are anxious They're afraid They're loud they're noisy They're always meddling in someone else's business.

That's why that's why I can't stay in social media well, why why is social media such a such a a craze Because we love to meddle in other people's business. That's why Paul says don't do that Take care of your own business And work with your own hands Work well Why Well, if if if it's my last day shouldn't I be telling people about jesus How can paul don't say that? Shouldn't I be exhorting people to to give their life to christ should I be hitting that tracks if this was my last day? shouldn't things be differently than just leading a quiet life and Tending to my own business and working hard with my hands Well, the next verse says this verse 12 Say you will behave properly toward outsiders This is where your in your integrity and your dignity and your credibility comes into play You want to tell people about christ you're gonna have a credible life You're gonna have life that people admire and look at say wow this person They they leave they live a quiet life They're at peace.

I'm not at peace They're not anxious. I'm anxious What is it about them that causes them to to live at rest and calm As to why i'm such afraid of what tomorrow is going to bring or next week's gonna bring And and they're they're always tending to their own Spiritual life make sure they're walking with the lord honoring the lord serving the lord And they work hard that becomes The bottom line the foundation of your testimony, right? So if you want a ministry that's effective in the in the marketplace Where you can have the platform that says let me tell you about my christ the one who makes me calm at heart Let me tell you about my christ that that caused me to to love those who Who don't really love me?

the unacceptable the undesirable Let me tell you why Let me tell you why I I don't I don't meddle in other people's affairs But I tend to my own business And why I work so hard I don't do it to make more money I don't do it to get kudos from my boss I do it because I want to work for my lord Then you have a platform that allows you to share the gospel a foundation see And this is this this is quite interesting And not be in any need We live lives where we are just so needy We need affirmation We need accolades We need pats on the back We need words of encouragement We need all these things.

We are such a needy society But paul says listen if you're loving abundantly that is you're reaching out to others and ministering to them and serving them and honoring god in the process And you live an appropriate kind of life That is you lead a tranquil life You lead the kind of life that doesn't meddle in other people's affairs And you work with your own hands. Guess what? You're not going to be in any need You're not going to be a needy kind of person Why? Because you're busy meeting other people's needs That's why this is the life of aspiration This is what we aspire.

This is the model life It's not just abstinence what we don't do. It's an aspiration to what we are to do To love abundantly and to live Appropriately may god give us the grace to do so let's pray together father. Thank you for today You are so good And we are grateful lord that you've allowed us this moment to be together We thank you for the reminder from the apostle paul On what he says in the word of god We are grateful lord And we thank you lord that as we gather together on this day This could be our last day We don't know that If it is May we live it Appropriately for the glory of your name May we love one another abundantly Because we want to serve our great god and savior jesus christ We pray this in jesus name amen