October 13, 2025 • 50 mins
Pastor Lance concludes the series on 1 Thessalonians with the final exhortations that Paul gives in chapter 5: engage in prayer for one another, ensure affection for one another, enact the reading of God's Word, and enjoy the grace of God!
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52 weeks ago we began First Thessalonians, and today we come
to the conclusion of this marvelous book.
We began looking at chapter one.That's where you usually begin
when you start a new book. And it was all about the model
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church. And the Church of 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
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all about the model leader. Model churches have model
leaders, and Paul was that modelleader.
And then you move to verse 13 ofchapter 2 down to the end and
you have the model follower. Model churches have model
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followers who follow model leaders.
And then you move into Chapter 3and 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.
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And then you come to chapter 4 and five.
You have what is called the 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 6
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characteristics that describe the model life #1 The model life
abstains from sexual immorality #2 The model life is that life
that aspires to a life of charity #3 the model life was
one who anticipates the return of deity.
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And then #4 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 Godfully and continually.
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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 beengoing through his mind as he
concludes this, 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
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where you can kind of drive homewhat has already been said, kind
of summon it up so that others will 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 are not, but his was.
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And yet it was all about his emotions and and thoughts that
played a a major part in his conclusion.
So let's 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.
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Now may the God of peace himselfsanctify you entirely, and may
your spirit and soul and body bepreserved 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.
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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.
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This is how Paul concludes. He gives a solemn, A solemn
request, and then he gives a sincere reminder.
The solemn request is is made-upinto three different categories.
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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
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solemn request. It's rooted in the peace of God,
the God who is peace. He says now, now, now, may the
God himself, the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely.
It's all about the God of peace.He, he's going to focus their
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attention on their God and, 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.
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And having been justified by faith.
Romans 51, it tells us that you have peace with God.
So they're already at peace withGod because it's the church and
they believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.
So they're already at peace withGod and he is asking the God of
peace to do something unique andspecial in their lives.
It's so important to realize that our Lord is the Lord of
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peace. In fact, in in Second
Thessalonians, Paul says this inchapter 3 verse #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
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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
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it. But in order to have it, it has
to be purchased, and the sun purchased that peace on
Calvary's tree. And once you embrace what the
sun has done, it's a Spirit of God that produces that peace.
For the fruit of the Spirit is Lovejoy and peace.
It all comes from the Spirit of God.
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That's why the Old Testament says in Isaiah 26 verse #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.
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A hymn that we used to sing growing up in the church.
Don't sing it much today, but it's a, 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
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groweth deeper all the way. Hidden in the hollow of His
blessed hand. Never folk and 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 fall from
above traced upon our dial by the son of love.
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We may trust him fully all for us to do they trust him holy
find him holy true saved upon Jehovah hearts are fully blessed
finding as he promised perfect peace and rest So Paul as he
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concludes with this solemn request.
It's, 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
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body be preserved complete without blame at the coming of
our Lord Jesus Christ. He wants him 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 holy toward
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Him. Now.
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 2, that we are setting
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ourselves apart from the things of the world.
If 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
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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
to the God who who gives peace. And so he makes this solemn
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request that's rooted in the in the peace of God, and that is
truly revealed in his prayer to God and then is truly realized
in the promise of God, faithful as he who called you, who also
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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 3311 says when
it says that his faithfulness isthe the belt around his waist.
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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 faithfulin mercy, He's faithful in
compassion, He's faithful in hispower, he's faithful in his
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presence. He's faithful in everything.
And so because he is faithful, it's the, it's the belt that
holds all the attributes together.
The Bible says over in Revelation 3 verse #14 as well
as Revelation chapter 19 that our God is faithful and our God
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is true. The Bible says in Psalm 37 three
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
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everything he said he's going todo, faithful as 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
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faithfulness of God. I think so many times we we miss
how faithful God is. God is faithful to take you
through temptation. First Corinthians 10/13 there is
no temptation taking you such asit's common to man, but God is
faithful. God's faithful to always provide
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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. 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
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all unrighteousness. That's what God does.
So we know that He will take us through temptation.
We know that when we confess oursins, 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
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God says about my sin, that's what it means to confess.
Then God is faithful and just tocleanse us from all
unrighteousness. It's important to know that the
Bible tells us that God answers prayer based on His
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faithfulness. Listen to what the Psalmist said
in Psalm 143 verse #1 Hear my prayer.
O Lord, give ear to my suffocations.
Answer me in your faithfulness. Answer me in your faithfulness.
God is so faithful to answer prayer.
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Sometimes we forget about that, but He is because He is always
true to His word. Over in Second Thessalonians
chapter 3 verse #3 Paul says these words.
He says, but the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen
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and protect you from the evil. 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
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faithfulness of God as he concludes this epistle.
Faithful, as he 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.
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Paul says simply, brethren, prayfor us.
Now all throughout the letter, Paul has already prayed for
them. Chapter one verse #2 he said, I
pray for you continually in chapter 3.
Pray that their love would abound more and more.
And all throughout Paul's epistles, he, he begins to
always pray for his people. And then he says, now, now,
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brethren, pray for us. But he didn't tell him 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, to, to engage ourselves in praying one for
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another? That is just so important.
And what do you pray for? Will 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
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continually and faithfully. But 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
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for people. Always pray the Bible for
people. Follow Paul's prayers when you
pray for the church because whenyou 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
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pray biblically. So many times our prayers are
our prayer requests become so, so much more physical than
spiritual. You ever notice that we always
want prayer for healing. We always want prayer for our
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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
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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.
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But when you think about our prayers, we pray along the lines
of more our will than God's will, right?
We need to 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.
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I'm reminded of of the nurse whothought of a way that she could
pray for people's lives. And so it says.
The story is told of a special nurse who who knew the
importance of intercessory prayer because each day she used
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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
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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.
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The little finger, which was thesmallest and least important,
reminded the nurse to pray for her own needs.
Wise words because usually the thumb represents our own needs
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because it's closest to us. And so we're going to pray for
our own needs. Have you ever, have you ever
thought about how you pray and what you pray for?
Have you ever wrote those thingsdown?
Have you ever monitored your ownprayer time and think about how
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often are our prayers are more physically related and
spiritually related? Paul says, brethren pray for us
and he doesn't give them any particular requests, but he's
given them five chapters to lookat and to realize that Paul had
already engaged in conflict withSatan.
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He'd already been kicked out of Thessalonica, and so he knew
that the enemy was at work. So he even knew what they, they,
they would know what to pray for.
So he says, brethren, pray for us.
So engage in prayer for one another #2 I like this one.
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Ensure affection for one another.
This is how Paul says it. Greet one another with a holy
kiss. My translation Ensure affection
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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 greeted one
another, they kissed one anotheron the cheek.
It's a holy kiss. That's very important to signify
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the kind of kiss that it was. But but it reminds us of, of, of
the affection and the devotion that the early church had one
for another. And I think that so much is is
lacking in today's church when it comes to being affectionate
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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 be kindly affectionate towardone another.
Kindly affectionate translated one word, philos, which means
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friendly kind of love, Storgay, 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 ofthe family of God.
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But but I wonder how how affectionate we are with one
another. We live in a a digital age and
it's hindered the way that we relate one with another, and
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that's unfortunate. In fact, think of it this way.
We substitute communicating technically.
Instead of connecting personally, we communicate
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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 and texts and
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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 the ability to embraceone another.
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It's like, you know, people today are into digital church.
They want to stay home and watchchurch on television.
That's not church, right? We told you months ago that that
when you do that, it's like watching a fireplace on your TV.
You know that it's flickering, you can hear it.
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You know that it's moving because you see it, but you
don't feel any warmth because ofit.
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
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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 distracted or distracted we are digitally and
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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,
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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
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is going to pop up with that phone is more important than you
across the table from him. That's just 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 it's and it's convenient and it's easy.
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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 separatingourselves one from another.
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That's why we don't necessarily have to greet one another with a
holy kiss, but to be able to, tobe 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
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prayer one for another, but we are to ensure affection one for
another and #3 enact the readingof God's Word.
Paul says that this way in chapter 5 he says these words.
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I adjure you by the Lord to havethis letter read to all the
brethren. One thing you need to do is read
the Bible. You don't have to necessarily
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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 #13 thatGod's work effectively works in
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those who believe. So if the reading of God's Word
is important, and Paul told Timothy in first Timothy 4 verse
#13 give yourself to the readingof 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
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the Bible that's very, very important.
And I hear people all the time say, well, well, I read that
chapter or I read that book, andI 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
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the character nature of God. But we approach the scriptures
because we have a certain need or a certain one.
We want God to meet that need. So we read a a passage or a
chapter or a book and well, thatdidn'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
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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 you need to come to
understand who your God is, whatHe has done, and the more you
do, the more you realize how much you truly love Him.
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Just a simple reading of the word.
Paul would say the same thing inColossians 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
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around the world. We don't like to read much like
to read in snippets, short little essays, but but to
actually read the Bible, people don't like to do that.
In fact, I was I was thinking about that this past week and I
I went back to Psalm 119 and I realized that just the cursory
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reading of the of Psalm 119 doesso much in our lives.
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.
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There 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
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text. He does talking about how
blessed is a man who who studiesday 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 statues, something that comes to them, a
blessing, a reward. The Bible says, I shall run the
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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 #37 Turn away
my eyes from looking at vanity, and revive me in your ways.
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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 #93 I will never forget your precepts, for
by then them you have revived me.
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Revival comes because I do not forget what God has said.
Well, how do I know what God hassaid?
It's because I read what God hassaid.
The psalmist knows that in orderfor 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.
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In other words, when when I readthe 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
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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, a letter from a lovedone.
Of course we don't receive letters anymore.
We get emails and 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, when you
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got a letter from your loved 1, you just kept it and you read it
over and over and over again. Because the words which they had
said, I, I've kept cards from mywife from years ago, years ago
that she has written to me. And every once in a while I'll
just go back from, through thosecards and read what she said.
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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
it just go back and read those things.
It's so powerful. Well, that's just a that's not
the inspired word of God. That's just a a note from my
wife. But the inspired word of God,
you read it over and over again.It never gets old.
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It never it's 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 #3 enact the
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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,
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unmeasurable, unearned, and unrepayable.
God's favor upon fallen man is unbelievable.
So how do you enjoy the grace ofGod #1 Abide in the God of
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grace. Abide in the God of grace.
This is what Christ said in John15.
I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine dresser.
Every branch in me that does notbear fruit, He takes away.
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In every branch that bears fruithe 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 the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in
the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in me.
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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
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grace. That's Hebrews 415 and 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,
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and then #3 make sure that you apply the message of grace.
Paul says in Acts at the 20 verse #32 I commend you to God
in 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
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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 in 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
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about grace. So abide in the God of grace,
approach the thought of grace, apply the message of grace, and
then #4 understand this, that you are to articulate with words
of grace, articulate with words of grace.
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Colossians chapter 4. Paul says this in verse number
six. Let your speech always be with
grace, seasoned with salt, articulate with words of grace.
That's why you would say in Ephesians 4, Let no unwholesome
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word proceed out of your mouth. None, but only the kind of words
that are useful for building someone up.
When we articulate the with the words of grace, we are actually
doing something in someone's life that will enable them to
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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?
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Or were they bitter, angry words?
Were they yelling words? Were they the kind of words that
that that you would be ashamed of had they been put on a screen
for announcements this morning in church?
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Here's #5 5 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
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grace, but accept, accept God's hand of grace.
This is hard, but let me read toyou what that great Old
Testament character did and said, Joseph in Genesis chapter
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45. Joseph had just revealed
themselves 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.
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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
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me here comma for God sent me before you to preserve life.
You sold me. God sent me.
What a what an incredible way toexplain all of his turmoil.
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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 for seven.
God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant in
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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 itwas not you who sent me here,
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but God don't take credit for for what's going to happen here
because you sold me and you sentme 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
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household, and ruler over all the land of Egypt.
Hurry and go up to my father andsay 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
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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 ofsupremacy in Potiphar's
Potiphar's house. He accepted the hand of grace
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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 meantit for good.
And God saved two nations, the nation of Egypt and the nation
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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.
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In the moment, it's hard to accept the hand of grace, isn't
it? So Peter says in first Peter 5
verse #6 humble yourselves underthe mighty hand of God.
What's the mighty hand of God? The mighty hand of God is a 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
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of discipline, God's mighty handof 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 mightyhand of destiny, because with
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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
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message of grace so that you canarticulate with words of grace
and then accept the hand of grace.
And lastly, this would be #6 accomplish your ministry with
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grace. Paul said this in Ephesians
chapter 3 verse #7 I was made a minister according to the gift
of God's grace. I was made a minister according
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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
#2 your family #3 the sphere of influence.
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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'm willing to
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lack. What you withhold I'm willing to
relinquish. What you take, I'm willing to
suffer. What you inflict, I'm willing to
be. Whatever you require.
Is that you? That's what Paul wants, for us
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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
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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 you offer and pray that we would
truly enact and engage in prayerone for another, that we live
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out this epistle that you wrote so many years ago to 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.
52 weeks ago we began First Thessalonians, and today we come
to the conclusion of this marvelous book.
We began looking at chapter one.That's where you usually begin
when you start a new book. And it was all about the model
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church. And the Church of 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
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all about the model leader. Model churches have model
leaders, and Paul was that modelleader.
And then you move to verse 13 ofchapter 2 down to the end and
you have the model follower. Model churches have model
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followers who follow model leaders.
And then you move into Chapter 3and 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.
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And then you come to chapter 4 and five.
You have what is called the 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 6
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characteristics that describe the model life #1 The model life
abstains from sexual immorality #2 The model life is that life
that aspires to a life of charity #3 the model life was
one who anticipates the return of deity.
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And then #4 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 Godfully and continually.
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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 beengoing through his mind as he
concludes this, 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
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where you can kind of drive homewhat has already been said, kind
of summon it up so that others will 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 are not, but his was.
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And yet it was all about his emotions and and thoughts that
played a a major part in his conclusion.
So let's 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.
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Now may the God of peace himselfsanctify you entirely, and may
your spirit and soul and body bepreserved 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.
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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.
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This is how Paul concludes. He gives a solemn, A solemn
request, and then he gives a sincere reminder.
The solemn request is is made-upinto three different categories.
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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
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solemn request. It's rooted in the peace of God,
the God who is peace. He says now, now, now, may the
God himself, the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely.
It's all about the God of peace.He, he's going to focus their
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attention on their God and, 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.
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And having been justified by faith.
Romans 51, it tells us that you have peace with God.
So they're already at peace withGod because it's the church and
they believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.
So they're already at peace withGod and he is asking the God of
peace to do something unique andspecial in their lives.
It's so important to realize that our Lord is the Lord of
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peace. In fact, in in Second
Thessalonians, Paul says this inchapter 3 verse #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
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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
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it. But in order to have it, it has
to be purchased, and the sun purchased that peace on
Calvary's tree. And once you embrace what the
sun has done, it's a Spirit of God that produces that peace.
For the fruit of the Spirit is Lovejoy and peace.
It all comes from the Spirit of God.
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That's why the Old Testament says in Isaiah 26 verse #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.
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A hymn that we used to sing growing up in the church.
Don't sing it much today, but it's a, 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
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groweth deeper all the way. Hidden in the hollow of His
blessed hand. Never folk and 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 fall from
above traced upon our dial by the son of love.
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We may trust him fully all for us to do they trust him holy
find him holy true saved upon Jehovah hearts are fully blessed
finding as he promised perfect peace and rest So Paul as he
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concludes with this solemn request.
It's, 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
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body be preserved complete without blame at the coming of
our Lord Jesus Christ. He wants him 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 holy toward
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Him. Now.
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 2, that we are setting
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ourselves apart from the things of the world.
If 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
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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
to the God who who gives peace. And so he makes this solemn
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request that's rooted in the in the peace of God, and that is
truly revealed in his prayer to God and then is truly realized
in the promise of God, faithful as he who called you, who also
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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 3311 says when
it says that his faithfulness isthe the belt around his waist.
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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 faithfulin mercy, He's faithful in
compassion, He's faithful in hispower, he's faithful in his
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presence. He's faithful in everything.
And so because he is faithful, it's the, it's the belt that
holds all the attributes together.
The Bible says over in Revelation 3 verse #14 as well
as Revelation chapter 19 that our God is faithful and our God
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is true. The Bible says in Psalm 37 three
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
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everything he said he's going todo, faithful as 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
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faithfulness of God. I think so many times we we miss
how faithful God is. God is faithful to take you
through temptation. First Corinthians 10/13 there is
no temptation taking you such asit's common to man, but God is
faithful. God's faithful to always provide
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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. 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
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all unrighteousness. That's what God does.
So we know that He will take us through temptation.
We know that when we confess oursins, 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
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God says about my sin, that's what it means to confess.
Then God is faithful and just tocleanse us from all
unrighteousness. It's important to know that the
Bible tells us that God answers prayer based on His
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faithfulness. Listen to what the Psalmist said
in Psalm 143 verse #1 Hear my prayer.
O Lord, give ear to my suffocations.
Answer me in your faithfulness. Answer me in your faithfulness.
God is so faithful to answer prayer.
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Sometimes we forget about that, but He is because He is always
true to His word. Over in Second Thessalonians
chapter 3 verse #3 Paul says these words.
He says, but the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen
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and protect you from the evil. 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
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faithfulness of God as he concludes this epistle.
Faithful, as he 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.
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Paul says simply, brethren, prayfor us.
Now all throughout the letter, Paul has already prayed for
them. Chapter one verse #2 he said, I
pray for you continually in chapter 3.
Pray that their love would abound more and more.
And all throughout Paul's epistles, he, he begins to
always pray for his people. And then he says, now, now,
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brethren, pray for us. But he didn't tell him 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, to, to engage ourselves in praying one for
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another? That is just so important.
And what do you pray for? Will 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
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continually and faithfully. But 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
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for people. Always pray the Bible for
people. Follow Paul's prayers when you
pray for the church because whenyou 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
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pray biblically. So many times our prayers are
our prayer requests become so, so much more physical than
spiritual. You ever notice that we always
want prayer for healing. We always want prayer for our
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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
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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.
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But when you think about our prayers, we pray along the lines
of more our will than God's will, right?
We need to 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.
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I'm reminded of of the nurse whothought of a way that she could
pray for people's lives. And so it says.
The story is told of a special nurse who who knew the
importance of intercessory prayer because each day she used
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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
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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.
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The little finger, which was thesmallest and least important,
reminded the nurse to pray for her own needs.
Wise words because usually the thumb represents our own needs
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because it's closest to us. And so we're going to pray for
our own needs. Have you ever, have you ever
thought about how you pray and what you pray for?
Have you ever wrote those thingsdown?
Have you ever monitored your ownprayer time and think about how
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often are our prayers are more physically related and
spiritually related? Paul says, brethren pray for us
and he doesn't give them any particular requests, but he's
given them five chapters to lookat and to realize that Paul had
already engaged in conflict withSatan.
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He'd already been kicked out of Thessalonica, and so he knew
that the enemy was at work. So he even knew what they, they,
they would know what to pray for.
So he says, brethren, pray for us.
So engage in prayer for one another #2 I like this one.
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Ensure affection for one another.
This is how Paul says it. Greet one another with a holy
kiss. My translation Ensure affection
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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 greeted one
another, they kissed one anotheron the cheek.
It's a holy kiss. That's very important to signify
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the kind of kiss that it was. But but it reminds us of, of, of
the affection and the devotion that the early church had one
for another. And I think that so much is is
lacking in today's church when it comes to being affectionate
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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 be kindly affectionate towardone another.
Kindly affectionate translated one word, philos, which means
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friendly kind of love, Storgay, 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 ofthe family of God.
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But but I wonder how how affectionate we are with one
another. We live in a a digital age and
it's hindered the way that we relate one with another, and
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that's unfortunate. In fact, think of it this way.
We substitute communicating technically.
Instead of connecting personally, we communicate
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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 and texts and
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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 the ability to embraceone another.
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It's like, you know, people today are into digital church.
They want to stay home and watchchurch on television.
That's not church, right? We told you months ago that that
when you do that, it's like watching a fireplace on your TV.
You know that it's flickering, you can hear it.
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You know that it's moving because you see it, but you
don't feel any warmth because ofit.
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
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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 distracted or distracted we are digitally and
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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,
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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
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is going to pop up with that phone is more important than you
across the table from him. That's just 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 it's and it's convenient and it's easy.
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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 separatingourselves one from another.
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That's why we don't necessarily have to greet one another with a
holy kiss, but to be able to, tobe 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
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prayer one for another, but we are to ensure affection one for
another and #3 enact the readingof God's Word.
Paul says that this way in chapter 5 he says these words.
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I adjure you by the Lord to havethis letter read to all the
brethren. One thing you need to do is read
the Bible. You don't have to necessarily
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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 #13 thatGod's work effectively works in
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those who believe. So if the reading of God's Word
is important, and Paul told Timothy in first Timothy 4 verse
#13 give yourself to the readingof 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
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the Bible that's very, very important.
And I hear people all the time say, well, well, I read that
chapter or I read that book, andI 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
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the character nature of God. But we approach the scriptures
because we have a certain need or a certain one.
We want God to meet that need. So we read a a passage or a
chapter or a book and well, thatdidn'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
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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 you need to come to
understand who your God is, whatHe has done, and the more you
do, the more you realize how much you truly love Him.
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Just a simple reading of the word.
Paul would say the same thing inColossians 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
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around the world. We don't like to read much like
to read in snippets, short little essays, but but to
actually read the Bible, people don't like to do that.
In fact, I was I was thinking about that this past week and I
I went back to Psalm 119 and I realized that just the cursory
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reading of the of Psalm 119 doesso much in our lives.
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.
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There 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
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text. He does talking about how
blessed is a man who who studiesday 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 statues, something that comes to them, a
blessing, a reward. The Bible says, I shall run the
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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 #37 Turn away
my eyes from looking at vanity, and revive me in your ways.
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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 #93 I will never forget your precepts, for
by then them you have revived me.
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Revival comes because I do not forget what God has said.
Well, how do I know what God hassaid?
It's because I read what God hassaid.
The psalmist knows that in orderfor 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.
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In other words, when when I readthe 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
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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, a letter from a lovedone.
Of course we don't receive letters anymore.
We get emails and 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, when you
(35:10):
got a letter from your loved 1, you just kept it and you read it
over and over and over again. Because the words which they had
said, I, I've kept cards from mywife from years ago, years ago
that she has written to me. And every once in a while I'll
just go back from, through thosecards and read what she said.
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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
it just go back and read those things.
It's so powerful. Well, that's just a that's not
the inspired word of God. That's just a a note from my
wife. But the inspired word of God,
you read it over and over again.It never gets old.
(36:00):
It never it's 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 #3 enact the
(36:24):
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,
(36:49):
unmeasurable, unearned, and unrepayable.
God's favor upon fallen man is unbelievable.
So how do you enjoy the grace ofGod #1 Abide in the God of
(37:16):
grace. Abide in the God of grace.
This is what Christ said in John15.
I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine dresser.
Every branch in me that does notbear fruit, He takes away.
(37:37):
In every branch that bears fruithe 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 the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in
the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in me.
(38:05):
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
(38:26):
grace. That's Hebrews 415 and 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,
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and then #3 make sure that you apply the message of grace.
Paul says in Acts at the 20 verse #32 I commend you to God
in 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
(39:11):
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 in 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
(39:37):
about grace. So abide in the God of grace,
approach the thought of grace, apply the message of grace, and
then #4 understand this, that you are to articulate with words
of grace, articulate with words of grace.
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Colossians chapter 4. Paul says this in verse number
six. Let your speech always be with
grace, seasoned with salt, articulate with words of grace.
That's why you would say in Ephesians 4, Let no unwholesome
(40:25):
word proceed out of your mouth. None, but only the kind of words
that are useful for building someone up.
When we articulate the with the words of grace, we are actually
doing something in someone's life that will enable them to
(40:45):
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?
(41:06):
Or were they bitter, angry words?
Were they yelling words? Were they the kind of words that
that that you would be ashamed of had they been put on a screen
for announcements this morning in church?
(41:29):
Here's #5 5 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
(41:52):
grace, but accept, accept God's hand of grace.
This is hard, but let me read toyou what that great Old
Testament character did and said, Joseph in Genesis chapter
(42:16):
45. Joseph had just revealed
themselves 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.
(42:37):
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
(42:58):
me here comma for God sent me before you to preserve life.
You sold me. God sent me.
What a what an incredible way toexplain all of his turmoil.
(43:21):
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 for seven.
God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant in
(43:43):
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 itwas not you who sent me here,
(44:05):
but God don't take credit for for what's going to happen here
because you sold me and you sentme 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
(44:28):
household, and ruler over all the land of Egypt.
Hurry and go up to my father andsay 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
(44:57):
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 ofsupremacy in Potiphar's
Potiphar's house. He accepted the hand of grace
(45:20):
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 meantit for good.
And God saved two nations, the nation of Egypt and the nation
(45:46):
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.
(46:07):
In the moment, it's hard to accept the hand of grace, isn't
it? So Peter says in first Peter 5
verse #6 humble yourselves underthe mighty hand of God.
What's the mighty hand of God? The mighty hand of God is a 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
(46:32):
of discipline, God's mighty handof 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 mightyhand of destiny, because with
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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
(47:19):
message of grace so that you canarticulate with words of grace
and then accept the hand of grace.
And lastly, this would be #6 accomplish your ministry with
(47:41):
grace. Paul said this in Ephesians
chapter 3 verse #7 I was made a minister according to the gift
of God's grace. I was made a minister according
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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
#2 your family #3 the sphere of influence.
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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'm willing to
(48:49):
lack. What you withhold I'm willing to
relinquish. What you take, I'm willing to
suffer. What you inflict, I'm willing to
be. Whatever you require.
Is that you? That's what Paul wants, for us
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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
(49:36):
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 you offer and pray that we would
truly enact and engage in prayerone for another, that we live
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out this epistle that you wrote so many years ago to 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.
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