Sermon: When God Uses the Uncomfortable

Sermon Date: 5/18/2025

Bible Verses: 1 Thessalonians 5:1–28

Speaker: Rev. Timothy "Tim" Shapley

Theme: https://uppbeat.io/t/northwestern/a-new-beginning

God doesn’t just work in our comfort—He often speaks, shapes, and sends us through discomfort.

1. Introduction: Preaching Through Discomfort

“Last Sunday, I preached a sermon that made me uncomfortable—not just in the preparation, but even in the delivery. I didn’t walk away feeling confident. I walked away feeling stretched. And yet—God used it.”

Sometimes the most powerful things God does in us don’t feel victorious. They feel unsettling. But that's where growth happens.

1. God’s Pattern: Working in Uncomfortable Places

The Bible is full of people God used—but not always in ways that felt good:

• Moses was called from a burning bush and led people who constantly grumbled.
• Jeremiah was told his words would be rejected.
• Esther had to risk her life just to speak.
• Jesus Himself—was a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief (Isa. 53:3).

Discomfort is not a sign of failure—it’s often a sign of faithfulness.

III. 1 Thessalonians 5: God’s Work in All Seasons

Let’s walk through key parts of this chapter, and see how God works through both clarity and discomfort.

1. God Uses the Uncomfortable to Wake Us Up
2. 1–6

“The day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night… So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober.”

• Discomfort shakes us out of spiritual sleep.
• God uses trials and hard words to make us alert, ready, and awake to His will.
• Last week’s sermon may have been uncomfortable—but it stirred hearts. That’s exactly what God wanted.

2. God Uses Discomfort to Refine Us
3. 7–10

“But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love...”

• Faith and love are battle armor, not spa robes.
• We grow not just in ease, but when we fight for what matters.
• The uncomfortable often exposes weakness, sharpens focus, and brings us to our knees—and that’s where God works.

3. God Uses Community to Encourage in Hard Moments
4. 11–15

“Therefore encourage one another and build one another up... Be patient with them all.”

• When God calls us to uncomfortable places, He often surrounds us with the right people at the right time.
• Feedback last week wasn’t comfort for your ego—it was confirmation of obedience.

We need the voice of the Spirit and the voice of the Church.

4. God Uses the Uncomfortable to Show His Will
5. 16–22

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances... this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

• Notice: "give thanks in all circumstances" — not for all, but in all.
• God’s will isn’t always clear in comfort. Often, it’s revealed in the tension, the stretch, the ache.
• Maybe what we call "discomfort" is actually God’s invitation to deeper trust.

5. God Uses It All to Make Us Holy
6. 23–24

“Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely... He who calls you is faithful; He will surely do it.”

• The God of peace works through fire.
• Sanctification is a process, and it’s not always smooth.
• But He is faithful—even when we feel uncomfortable, unqualified, or uncertain.

1. Conclusion: Trusting God in the Stretch

God doesn’t just use your gifts. He uses your weakness. He doesn’t just speak through your boldness. He speaks through your broken obedience.

“He who calls you is faithful; He will surely do it.” (v. 24)

So whether you preach with fire or with trembling— Whether you parent with clarity or with exhaustion— Whether you serve in joy or through tears— God is at work.

Final Encouragement:

• If you're in an uncomfortable season, God hasn’t abandoned you—He’s refining you.
• If you’re being asked to do something that stretches your comfort, it may just be the next step in your calling.
• And if you're feeling unsure after obedience—peace will come, and fruit will follow.