The Model Life: What Now?

52 weeks ago, we began First Thessalonians, and today, we come to the conclusion of this marvelous book. We began looking at Chapter 1. That's where you usually begin when you start a new book. And it was all about the model church, and the church at Thessalonica sets a pattern.

In fact, it's the only church that God calls a pattern in the New Testament. In other words, it's a church that we are to model our lives after. So Chapter 1 is all about the model church.

Chapter 2, verses 1 to 12, was all about the model leader. Model churches have model leaders, and Paul was that model leader. And then you move to verse 13 of Chapter 2, down to the end, and you have the model follower.

Model churches have model followers who follow model leaders. And then you move into Chapter 3, and you see all about the model friend, because model friends are model followers, and model followers follow model leaders that make up a model church. And then you come to Chapter 4 and 5. You have what is called the model life, because the model friends and model followers and model leaders live the kind of life that others are to emulate, so that you have a church that is a model church.

And we gave you six characteristics that describe the model life. Number one, the model life abstains from sexual immorality. Number two, the model life is that life that aspires to a life of charity.

Number three, the model life was one who anticipates the return of deity. And then number four, the model life is one that is alert to the world's destiny and their responsibility. And then the model life is one that adapts within God's wonderful family.

And then lastly, the model life is the one that adores their God fully and continually. That's Chapter 4 and Chapter 5. And now, now Paul is going to bring everything to a conclusion. And I wonder what must have been going through his mind as he concludes this epistle.

You know, when you write a letter to someone, you want to bring it to a conclusion, an ending point. You want to bring it to a place where you can kind of drive home what has already been said, kind of summon it up so that others will grasp it fully. The difference between your letters, my letters, and Paul's letters is that Paul's letters were inspired by God.

Yours and mine are not, but his was. And yet it was all about his emotions and thoughts that played a major part in his conclusion. So let's look at it and let's read it and see what Paul has to say as he concludes this epistle.

Verse 23 of Chapter 5. Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely, and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful as he who calls you, and he also will bring it to pass. Brethren, pray for us.

Greet all the brethren with a holy kiss. I adjure you by the Lord to have this letter read to all the brethren. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

This is how Paul concludes. He gives a solemn request and then he gives a sincere reminder. The solemn request is made up into three different categories.

It's rooted in the peace of God. It is revealed in his prayer to God. And it is realized in the promise from God.

That is his solemn request. It's rooted in the peace of God, the God who is peace. He says, now may the God himself, the God of peace himself, sanctify you entirely.

It's all about the God of peace. He's going to focus their attention on their God. And the peace that only God himself can bring.

So he wants to focus their attention on the God who brings them peace because as he concludes this letter, he wants them to be at peace. Not just with the Lord, but with one another. And having been justified by faith, Romans 5:1, it tells us that you have peace with God.

So they're already at peace with God because it's the church and they believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. So they're already at peace with God and he is asking the God of peace to do something unique and special in their lives. It's so important to realize that our Lord is the Lord of peace.

In fact, in 2 Thessalonians, Paul says this in chapter 3, verse number 16, he says, now may the Lord of peace himself continually grant you peace in every circumstance, the Lord be with you all. So even in the second letter, he's going to refer back to the Lord of peace. Remember, it's the father, it's the father who provides peace.

It's the son who purchased peace and it's the spirit that produces peace. It's God the father who provides it, but in order to have it, it has to be purchased. And the son purchased that peace on Calvary's tree.

And once you embrace what the son has done, it's the spirit of God that produces that peace for the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, and peace. It all comes from the spirit of God. That's why the Old Testament says in Isaiah 26, verse number 3, that God will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee.

So Paul is drawing them back, referencing the Old Testament and drawing them back to the God of peace, so they recognize that their mind is to be stayed, to be focused on the God of peace. A hymn that we used to sing growing up in the church, don't sing it much today, but it's a great hymn. It's called Like a River Glorious.

It says, Like a River Glorious is God's perfect peace, over all victorious in its bright increase. Perfect yet it floweth, fuller every day, perfect yet it groweth, deeper all the way. Hidden in the hollow of his blessed hand, never foe can follow, never traitor stand.

Not a surge of worry, not a shade of care, not a blast of hurry, touch the spirit there. Every joy or trial falleth from above, traced upon our dial by the son of love. We may trust him fully, all for us to do.

They who trust him wholly, find him wholly true. State upon Jehovah, hearts are fully blessed, finding as he promised perfect peace and rest. So Paul, as he concludes with this solemn request, it's rooted in the peace of God.

But then, notice this, it's revealed in his prayer to God. Now may the God of peace sanctify you entirely. Sanctify you completely.

He says, and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He wants them to understand complete and total sanctification and complete and total security. Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you, set you apart completely, entirely, wholly toward him.

Now, we know that we're sanctified when we are saved. We are set apart under God for his purposes when we are saved. We are justified and sanctified.

But that positional sanctification needs to be lived out on a regular basis so that we practically work out our salvation with fear and trembling. As Paul says in Philippians chapter two, that we are setting ourselves apart from the things of the world. And Paul says, the way that happens is because the God of peace, who's going to set you apart completely one day at the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.

But in the meantime, stay separate from the things of the world. And then notice this, he says, also realize that he will secure you. He will safeguard you.

He will watch over you, soul, spirit, body, mind, everything. He's asking God to help them understand the security they have in the God of peace. And that security can only come through the God who gives peace.

And so he makes a solemn request that's rooted in the peace of God. And that is truly revealed in his prayer to God. And that is truly realized in the promise of God.

Faithful is he who called you, who also will bring it to pass. He appeals to the faithfulness of God, not just the peace of God, but the faithfulness of God. I love what Psalm 33:11 says, when it says that his faithfulness is the belt around his waist.

Faithfulness is the belt around the waist of God. In other words, it's the faithfulness of God that holds all of his attributes together. He's faithful in love.

He's faithful in grace. He's faithful in mercy. He's faithful in compassion. He's faithful in his power. He's faithful in his presence. He's faithful in everything.

And so because he is faithful, it's the belt that holds all the attributes together. And the Bible says over in Revelation 3, verse number 14, as well as Revelation chapter 19, that our God is faithful and our God is true. The Bible says in Psalm 37:3, that we are to feed securely on the faithfulness of God.

In other words, God's faithfulness is our daily food. It's our daily sustenance. Because God is faithful to do everything he said he's going to do.

Faithful is he who called you, who will bring it to pass. In other words, he will sanctify you. He will glorify you.

He will secure you. Because it all depends on the faithfulness of God, not on those who believe. God does it.

And so he appeals to the faithfulness of God. I think so many times we miss how faithful God is. God is faithful to take you through temptation. 1 Corinthians 10:13. There is no temptation overtaking you except such as is common to man. But God is faithful. God's faithful to always provide a route of escape. Whenever you are tempted, there's always going to be a route of escape. Because God's faithful to provide that for you.

God is faithful to forgive you all your sins. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. That's what God does.

So we know that he will take us through temptation. We know that when we confess our sins, he is faithful and true to forgive us all of our sins. I don't have to worry about whether or not God's going to forgive me or not.

He's already forgiven all my sins, past, present, and future. But when I go to him and I say the same thing about my sin that God says about my sin, that's what it means to confess, then God is faithful and just to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. It's important to know that the Bible tells us that God answers prayer based on his faithfulness.

Listen to what the psalmist said in Psalm 143, verse number 1. Hear my prayer, O Lord. Give ear to my supplications. Answer me in your faithfulness. Answer me in your faithfulness. God is so faithful to answer prayer. Sometimes we forget about that. But he is because he is always true to his word.

Over in 2 Thessalonians chapter 3, verse number 3, Paul says these words.

He says, but the Lord is faithful and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one. God is faithful to protect you from the evil one. He's faithful to strengthen you so that you can withstand the evilness of the evil one.

God is so faithful. So Paul appeals to the faithfulness of God as he concludes this epistle, faithful as you called you who also will bring it to pass. And then he moves from a solemn request to a sincere reminder.

He's going to remind us of four things. The first one is this, engage in prayer for one another. Paul says simply, brethren, pray for us.

Now all throughout the letter, Paul has already prayed for them. Chapter 1, verse number 2, he said, I pray for you continually. In chapter 3, he prayed that their love would abound more and more.

And all throughout Paul's epistles, he begins to always pray for his people. And then he says, now brethren, pray for us. But he didn't tell them what the requests are.

He just says, brethren, pray for us. And I think about that and I think that as we conclude this book, wouldn't it be good for us to engage ourselves in praying one for another? That is just so important. And what do you pray for? Well, you pray for the model life.

You pray that the people of the church will abstain from sexual immorality. You pray that they would aspire to a life of charity. You pray that they would adapt within God's wonderful family.

You pray that they would adore their God sincerely and continually and faithfully. But think about our prayers and how we pray one for another. The best way to understand how to pray for one another is to examine Paul's prayers in the Scripture.

You should always pray the Bible for people. Always pray the Bible for people. And follow Paul's prayers when you pray for the church.

Because when you do, you begin to pray biblically. And you want to pray in line with what the Spirit of God wants. So you pray scripturally.

You pray biblically. So many times our prayers, our prayer requests become so much more physical than spiritual. You ever notice that? We always want prayer for healing. We always want prayer for our health. We always want prayer for going into surgery. We always want prayer for our recovery after surgery. Right? And there's nothing wrong with that. But when you think about prayer, are we asking God's will to be done? We want God's will to be done in your life. Maybe it's God's will that you be sick or that you stay sick. I don't know. Maybe it's God's will that you be healed. I don't know that either.

So I pray God's will to be done. Why? Because I want God's will for your life more than I want my will for your life. But when you think about our prayers, we pray along the lines of more our will than God's will.

Right? When you think about that, how do we pray for God's will to be accomplished in people's lives? Because that's the direction of our prayers. I'm reminded of the nurse who thought of a way that she could pray for people's lives. And so it says, the story is told of a special nurse who knew the importance of intercessory prayer.

Because each day she used her hands as instruments of God's love and mercy toward those in her care, she found it natural to use her hand as a scheme of prayer. Each finger represented someone she wanted to pray for. Her thumb was nearest to her and reminded her to pray for those who were closest and dearest.

The index finger was used for pointing. So it stood for those who instructed her. The third finger was the tallest, it stood for those in leadership.

The fourth finger was the weakest, representing those in distress and pain. The little finger, which was the smallest and least important, reminded the nurse to pray for her own needs. Wise words.

Because usually the thumb represents our own needs because it's closest to us. And so we're going to pray for our own needs. Have you ever thought about how you pray and what you pray for? Have you ever wrote those things down? Have you ever monitored your own prayer time? And think about how often our prayers are more physically related and spiritually related.

Paul says, brethren, pray for us. And he doesn't give him any particular requests, but he's given them five chapters to look at and to realize that Paul had already engaged in conflict with Satan. He'd already been kicked out of Thessalonica.

And so he knew that the enemy was at work. So he knew that they would know what to pray for. So he says, brethren, pray for us.

So engage in prayer for one another. Number two. I like this one. Ensure affection for one another. This is how Paul says it. Greet one another with a holy kiss.

My translation, ensure affection one for another. You know, the church is to be personally involved in each other's lives. And it is true that in Paul's day that when people greet one another, they kissed one another on the cheek.

It's a holy kiss. That's very important to signify the kind of kiss that it was. But it reminds us of the affection and the devotion that the early church had one for another.

And I think that so much is lacking in today's church when it comes to being affectionate one toward another. Paul would say it this way in Romans chapter 12. He said, be kindly affectionate toward one another in brotherly love.

Be kindly affectionate toward one another. Kindly affectionate is translated one word, philos, which means friendly kind of love. Storge, which is a maternal familial kind of love, a family kind of love.

He says, we are to be so kindly affectionate toward one another that we treat each other as if we're part of the same family. Because we are. We're all part of the family of God.

But I wonder how affectionate we are with one another. We live in a digital age. And it's hindered the way that we relate one with another.

And that's unfortunate. In fact, think of it this way. We substitute communicating technically instead of connecting personally.

We communicate technically, but we do not connect personally. Do not substitute communication for connection. Connection can only happen face-to-face.

Communication can come through emails and texts and Instagram and all kinds of modern-day technology. You can communicate that way, but you cannot connect that way. Connection comes through personal experience, eye-to-eye gaze.

The ability to embrace one another. It's like, you know, people today are into digital church. They want to stay home and watch church on television.

That's not church, right? We told you months ago that when you do that, it's like watching a fireplace on your TV. You know that it's flickering. You can hear it.

You know that it's moving because you see it. But you don't feel any warmth because of it. Why? Because there's no connection.

You can get as close to your TV as you want, but there's no warmth coming from that fireplace on your television. In order to experience the warmth of a fireplace, you got to be by the fire. And the closer you get to the fire, the hotter it becomes.

Well, the same way it is true in the church. We don't connect digitally. You connect personally.

In fact, think of it this way. The more distractive or distracted we are digitally and technically, the more displaced we are spiritually and personally. Think about that.

The more distracted we are digitally, and we are, just go to a restaurant, watch people sitting in a booth, sitting around a chair. All the phones are on the table or in their hands. Why? Because what's going to happen on that phone is more important than what's going to happen across from me on the table.

So if you're out on a date, ladies, and you're with a man and he has his phone, out on the table, recognize that whatever is going to pop up with that phone is more important than you across the table from him. That should send a loud and clear message to you that this guy is not that into you. He's more into what's going to happen on his phone and who's going to contact him.

That's very important to realize this. And as convenient and as easy it is today to communicate with people, it's very difficult to connect with people. Why is that? Because you got to be vulnerable.

You got to be personable. And as time goes on in the church, we are less and less personable. And we are separating ourselves one from another.

That's why we don't necessarily have to greet one another with a holy kiss. But to be able to be kindly affectionate toward one another and to be able to embrace one another and express our love one for another face to face is so incredibly important. And so not only do we engage in prayer one for another, but we are to ensure affection affection one for another.

And number three, enact the reading of God's Word. Paul says it this way in chapter 5. He says these words, I adjure you by the Lord to have this letter read to all the brethren. One thing you need to do is read the Bible.

You don't have to necessarily study the Bible, although you should. You should at least read the Bible. Because reading does all kinds of things in our lives.

We miss this. We know that Paul has already said in chapter 2 verse number 13 that God's work effectively works in those who believe. So if the reading of God's Word is important, and Paul told Timothy in 1 Timothy 4 verse number 13, give yourself to the reading of the text, to the instructing of the text, and the teaching of the text.

But give yourself to the reading of it. There's something about reading the Bible that's very, very important. And I hear people all the time say, well, I read that chapter, or I read that book, and I didn't get anything out of it.

And they don't understand that that's a commentary on them, not the Bible. Because when you're looking and reading the Scriptures, you're looking to see and understand the character and nature of God. But we approach the Scriptures because we have a certain need or a certain want, and we want God to meet that need.

So we read a passage or a chapter or a book, and well, that didn't really meet my needs, so I guess the Bible really is not relevant to where I am today. But it is. Because the need you have before you is not nearly as the need above you.

And the need above you is God, and you need Him more than you need that which is around you. But we forget that. So you need to come to understand who your God is, what He has done.

And the more you do, the more you realize how much you truly love Him. Just a simple reading of the Word. Paul would say the same thing in Colossians chapter 4, when he said, when this epistle is read among you.

Very important. Reading is a lost art today among those in America and around the world. We don't like to read much.

We like to read in snippets, short little essays. But to actually read the Bible, people don't like to do that. In fact, I was thinking about that this past week, I went back to Psalm 119, and I realized that just the cursory reading of Psalm 119 does so much in our lives.

The Psalmist begins Psalm 119 this way. How blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord. How blessed are those who observe His testimonies, who seek Him with all their heart.

There is a certain blessing that comes through observing the testimonies of God. But it only comes to those who read, look, observe what is written. But the blessing does come with a simple observation of the text.

That's talking about how blessed is a man who studies day and night at the Word of God. He does talk about meditating day and night. Here he's just talking about those who observe the statutes.

Something that comes to them, a blessing, a reward. The Bible says, I shall run the way of your commandments, for you will enlarge my heart. There's something about reading the commandments of God that does something to my heart.

It makes it long for God and seek after God. He says in verse number 37, turn away my eyes from looking at vanity and revive me in your ways. When I read the Word of God, it causes my eyes to turn away from that which is vain, that which is empty, that which is futile, that which makes absolutely no difference.

He says in verse number 93, I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have revived me. Revival comes because I do not forget what God has said. Well, how do I know what God has said? It's because I read what God has said.

The psalmist knows that in order for his soul to be revived, this is what happens. It says, I have restrained my feet from every evil way that I may keep your word. In other words, when I read the Word of God, it restrains my feet from going the evil way.

It's just a simple reading of the Scripture, the observation of the Scripture, the looking at the Scripture will do a marvelous work in the life of the believer. Paul knows that. So he says, I want this epistle to be read among you.

I want you to read it over and over and over again. You know, it's like when you receive a letter from a loved one. Of course, we don't receive letters anymore.

We get emails and texts. But in the olden days, when I was growing up, we used to have to write letters to people, right? You had to really write a thank you note to people. And sometimes when you got a letter from your loved one, you just kept it.

And you read it over and over and over again, because the words which they had said. I've kept cards from my wife from years ago, years ago, that she has written to me. And every once in a while, I'll just go back, thumb through those cards and read what she said.

And then I want to go back to her when she's mad at me and say, hey, this is what you said. Remember that 10 years ago? No, I don't do that. But the bottom line is, is that I just go back and read those things.

It's so powerful. Well, that's not the inspired Word of God. That's just a note from my wife.

But the inspired Word of God, you read it over and over again. It never gets old. It never is crusty.

It never becomes routine. It's a life giving, life breathing Word of the living God. So engage in prayer for one another.

Ensure affection one toward another. Number three, enact the reading of the Word of God. And lastly, enjoy the grace of God.

Paul began by talking about grace in chapter 1. And he ends talking about grace in chapter 5. God's grace is undeserved, unmeasurable, unearned, and unrepayable.

God's favor upon fallen man is unbelievable. So how do you enjoy the grace of God? Number one, abide in the God of grace. Abide in the God of grace.

This is what Christ said in John 15. I am the true vine, and my father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit, he takes away.

And every branch that bears fruit, he prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the Word which I have spoken to you. So abide, remain in me, and I in you.

As a branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in me. Remain steadfast with me. Abide in the God of grace.

You want to enjoy the grace of God? Abide in the God of grace, because from him comes that which you do not deserve. And then not only do you abide in the grace of God, but you also approach the throne of grace. That's Hebrews 4:15-16.

You approach the throne of grace. We're to come boldly before the throne of grace that we might receive mercy and grace to help in time of need. You want to enjoy the grace of God? Abide in the God of grace.

Approach the throne of grace. And then number three, make sure that you apply the message of grace. Paul says in Acts chapter 20 verse number 32, I commend you to God and the word of his grace which is able to build you up.

Paul says, look, I'm leaving you, but I'm going to give you the word of his grace, because this is what's going to build you, sustain you, stabilize you, secure you, strengthen you. So I commend you to God, the word of his grace, which is able to build you up. So you need to apply the message of grace, because God's word is the word that gives the message about grace.

So abide in the God of grace. Approach the throne of grace. Apply the message of grace.

And then number four, understand this, that you are to articulate with words of grace. Articulate with words of grace. Colossians chapter 4, Paul says this in verse number 6, let your speech always be with grace seasoned with salt.

Articulate with words of grace. That's why he would say in Ephesians 4, let no unwholesome word proceed out of your mouth. None.

But only the kind of words that are useful for building someone up. When we articulate with the words of grace, we are actually doing something in someone's life that will enable them to understand the beauty of God's grace. Think about your conversation with your wife this morning, or your husband, or your children.

Were they words of grace, words of kindness, words that would move them on to maturity, or were they bitter, angry words? Were they yelling words? Were they the kind of words that you would be ashamed of had they been put on a screen for announcements this morning in church? Here's number five. Five is really good. And that is you need to accept the hand of grace.

Abide in the God of grace. Approach the throne of grace. Apply the message of grace.

Articulate with words of grace, but accept, accept God's hand of grace. This is hard. But let me read to you what that great Old Testament character did and said, Joseph, in Genesis chapter 45.

Joseph had just revealed himself to his brothers. They did not recognize him. But when he finally revealed himself, it says this, verse 4 of Genesis 45.

Then Joseph said to his brothers, please come closer to me. And they came closer and he said, I am your brother Joseph, whom, listen carefully, you sold into Egypt, whom you sold into Egypt. Now listen carefully.

Now do not be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, comma, for God sent me before you to preserve life. You sold me. God sent me.

What an incredible way to explain all of this turmoil. You sold me, but God sent me. This is this.

This is so good. He says, for the famine has been in the land these two years and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. Verse 7, God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant in the earth and to keep you alive by a great deliverance.

You sold me. God sent me that I might save you. That is a great perspective.

He says, verse 8, now therefore, it was not you who sent me here, but God. Don't take credit for what's going to happen here because you sold me and you sent me here because it was God who sent me. You sold me.

God sent me that I might save you. He says, he has made me a father to Pharaoh. And Lord of all his household and ruler over all the land of Egypt.

Hurry and go up to my father and say to him, thus says your son Joseph, God has made me Lord of all Egypt. He accepted God's hand of grace long before he was ever made Lord of Egypt. He accepted God's hand of grace when he was sold into slavery.

He accepted God's hand of grace when he was thrown into a pit. He accepted God's hand of grace when he was raised to a level of supremacy in Potiphar's house. He accepted the hand of grace when Potiphar's wife lied about him.

He was thrown into prison. It was all about accepting God's hand of grace. So it's all said and done.

You meant it for evil. God meant it for good. And God saved two nations, the nation of Egypt and the nation of Israel.

What you meant for evil, God had greater purposes. You sold me. God sent me so that I might save you.

What a perspective. In the moment, it's hard to accept the hand of grace, isn't it? So Peter says in 1 Peter 5, verse number 6, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God. What's the mighty hand of God? The mighty hand of God is a phrase from the Old Testament that's used in the book of Genesis and the book of Exodus to speak of God's mighty hand of discipline, God's mighty hand of destiny.

His hand was always used in the discipline of Israel and the destiny of Israel. Peter picks up on that, says, now I want you to humble yourselves under God's mighty hand of discipline, God's mighty hand of destiny, because with that mighty hand comes God's deliverance. But you must accept the hand of God's grace.

You want to enjoy the grace of God? Abide in the God of grace. Approach the throne of grace. Make sure that you apply the message of grace so that you can articulate with words of grace, and then accept the hand of grace.

And lastly, this will be number 6, accomplish your ministry with grace. Paul said this, Ephesians chapter 3, verse number 7, I was made a minister according to the gift of God's grace. I was made a minister according to God's gracious gift of His favor.

So you accomplish your ministry with grace. And what is your ministry? Number one, your marriage. Right? Your marriage is your ministry.

Number two, your family. Number three, the sphere of influence wherever God's placed you. Whatever your work environment is, that's where God placed you.

That's your ministry. And so you can only accomplish that through the grace that God supplies. That's why the poem was written, Lord, I am willing to receive what you give.

I am willing to lack what you withhold. I am willing to relinquish what you take. I am willing to suffer what you inflict.

I am willing to be whatever you require. Is that you? That's what Paul wants for us, to enjoy the grace of God. Let's pray.

Father, we thank you for today. One more opportunity for us to hear what your Word says. Thank you for the opportunity to study this epistle.

It's been very convicting, very challenging, at times very confrontive, but always very comforting because it is the Word of God. My prayer for all of us, Lord, is that we would truly, we would truly ensure affection one for another, enjoy the grace that you offer, and pray that we would truly enact and engage in prayer one for another, that we live out this epistle that you wrote so many years ago through the pen of the Apostle Paul. We have read it. We have studied it. Help us, Lord, to apply it by your grace and for your glory. In Jesus' name, amen.