Be at Peace Among Yourselves – I Thessalonians
Be At Peace Among Yourselves
Together Church Manuscript | March 2, 2025
Pastor Brandon Werner & Pastor Jerry Wells | Series: 1 Thessalonians
INTRODUCTION
1 Thessalonians 5:12-27
12 And we urge you, brethren, to recognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, 13 and to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. Be at peace among yourselves.
14 Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all. 15 See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all.
16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise prophecies. 21 Test all things; hold fast what is good. 22 Abstain from every form of evil.
23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.
25 Brethren, pray for us. 26 Greet all the brethren with a holy kiss.
27 I charge you by the Lord that this epistle be read to all the holy brethren. 28 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.
INTRODUCTION
Jerry
This is not the only letter that Paul wrote to a church in which he concluded the letter by giving that church what appears to be a random PowerPoint list of instructions.
Brandon
These lists remind me of a list a parent might leave on the refrigerator for their child before that parent leaves on a trip. Some of those instructions can be matters of life and death for the child.
Jerry
Paul doesn’t always give an explanation for the specifics of what he says in these lists.
But for this church, he does.
13 …Be at peace among yourselves.
Brandon
Everything in these last few verses can be tied back to this main idea.
Peace is very important to God.
- In verse 23, Paul calls God “the God of peace”.
- God is called Jehovah Shalom by Gideon in Judges 6:24. That name means “I am peace”.
- God wants His people to be at peace in their soul according to Ephesians 4:7 and Colossians 3:15.
Jerry
- Peace is the third fruit of the spirit Paul lists in Galatians 5.
- The whole purpose of the gospel of Jesus Christ was to create peace between God and man.
- And God wants His people to be at peace with one another.
Paul told this church to be at peace “among yourselves”. Among yourselves means being at peace in your relationships with one another.
Brandon
As we close out 1 Thessalonians today, we remember that this church was a great church. They were identifying and imitating the right examples. As a result, they became a powerful witness for Jesus Christ – not only in their region, but throughout the world.
They were a great church, and Paul wanted them to continue strong.
When a church is a great church like this one, the easiest way for the mission of the church to be derailed is for the church to be at war with one another. Forget about the outside threats. Those can be bad enough. Our first task is to be at peace among ourselves.
Jerry
Undoubtedly, Paul had reasons for everything he wrote to conclude his letter in this PowerPoint list. We don’t know all of Paul’s specific reasons for this particular list of admonitions; but based on verses 13 and 23, it is reasonable to conclude that following these admonitions would lead to peace in the church.
BODY
Brandon
Let’s look at each one of these admonitions and see how following them will cause God’s people to be at peace among yourselves.
- Recognize and esteem those leaders who are working hard to care for the church.
1 Thessalonians 5:12-13
12 And we urge you, brethren, to recognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you,
13 and to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. Be at peace among yourselves.
Jerry
A problem that all men share in different degrees is taking people for granted that are caring for them. Husbands and wives can feel this way. Parents can feel this way. Caretakers can feel this way.
The word “recognize” literally means to “consider”. Paul is telling the church, “Don’t take the labor of love of your leaders for granted; instead, consider what they do for you and esteem them for it. Show them appreciation!”
Brandon
It is hard work for elders in the church to care for every member of the church; to oversee and plan all the details for the various meetings of the church; and to work hard at admonishing the church in the truth of God’s Word. Elders are shepherds (pastors) who lead, feed, and protect the church. They are on call 24/7.
Jerry
When a leader’s labor is taken for granted by the church, it gives the devil the opportunity to send his messengers into the church to divide the church and destroy their peace. This will inevitably detour the church from its mission. (This happened to me twice in 38 years).
Paul says to be at peace among ourselves, our church needs to recognize and esteem those leaders who are working hard to care for the church; beginning with our elders and deacons, but also our trustees, small group leaders, and directors of various ministries.
Brandon
To experience peace among themselves, Paul also instructed the church to…
- Warn the unruly.
1 Thessalonians 5:14a
14 Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly…
The word “warn” means to “reprove”. The Greek Word for unruly is “insubordinate”. An insubordinate person is a person who will not follow orders. They’re unruly!
Jerry
There are many opportunities for a person to act unruly in the church. It can happen when we are working together to serve; it can happen during church meetings or gatherings; it can happen in the use of the building; it can happen in our ministries.
Brandon
Being unruly happens every time someone shows disregard for the jurisdictions that have been assigned to various people.
To be at peace among ourselves, we must follow Paul’s instructions and gently reprove the unruly.
Jerry
- Comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all.
1 Thessalonians 5:14b
14…. comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all.
Brandon
When believers are going through a difficult personal trial and suffering from grief, they can become fainthearted. This means they want to give up. They can also become weak in their faith in God due to their suffering. They begin to question what is true. This can happen to any one of us.
Jerry
If the church neglects the fainthearted and the weak, it can affect the peace of the whole church. Not only can these people who are hurting take up an offense, but people who care about them can take up an offense for them. Both rob us of peace. The faint-hearted and the weak must be comforted for there to be peace.
Brandon
This is hard work that cannot be completed by just the Pastoral Staff and a few other members. It is the will of God for every member to be engaged in comforting the fainthearted and the weak.
The word “comfort” means to “come along side” and “sit with people” in their pain.
But it also means to come along side and speak the truth to them in love. The Holy Spirit is called both the Comforter and the Spirit of Truth.
Jerry
Being a comforter requires patience. To be patient means to be long suffering with those who are faint hearted and weak. It can take a while to recover from certain trials of faith. Being a comforter with patience is critical to preserving peace in the church.
Brandon
- Vickie Apple does this with people who are physically weak.
Sitting with someone in a hospital or during their recovery is a great image of what Paul’s admonishing the church to do across the board.
Whether the pain is physical, emotion, or spiritual, God wants us to be a peace among ourselves by comforting the fainthearted, upholding the weak, and being patient with all.
Jerry
- Do not render evil for evil to anyone.
1 Thessalonians 5:15
15 See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all.
The suffering we experience in the church can come from the evil that people do to us. To do evil means to injure or do harm to another person. This evil can be committed by someone in the church, or it can be committed by someone outside the church. Notice Paul said to see that no one renders evil for evil to anyone AND pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all.
Brandon
If this evil is a reaction to our sin, instead of rendering evil for evil, we need to pursue peace by making amends. Jesus said….
Matthew 5:23-24
23 Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you,
24 leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.
Paul said, as far as it depends upon you, be at peace with all men. If the Holy Spirit convicts us that we have been wrong, we need to confess our wrong to God and to those who have suffered because of our sin.
Jerry
If this evil is unprovoked by our sins and it is committed against us by a member of the church, instead of rendering evil for evil, Jesus said this to work toward restoring peace in this way…
Matthew 18:15-17
15 “Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother.
16 But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’
17 And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.
Brandon
Wow! What a process to protect the peace of the church. This tells how important peace in His church is to Jesus! We know how it is important it was to the Apostle Paul because he reproved the church at Corinth for not following these instructions.
Jerry
These two commandments of Jesus – going to our brother to make amends when we are guilty of doing evil against them and going to confront our brother alone who has done evil to us – are two of the most neglected commandments in the church of Jesus Christ.
The results have been catastrophic for the peace of the Church of Jesus and its mission. This neglect has allowed roots of bitterness to spring up in the church. These roots of bitterness always produce slander and gossip that become strongholds of Satan that divide the church.
We must follow these commandments!
Brandon
What if we follow them and others don’t? What if they won’t forgive us for our faults? What if they won’t repent of the evil they’ve done against us when we go to them about it? What if they continue to do evil to us?
We still must follow this commandment to not return evil for evil! Instead, we need to forgive them, and we need to continue to follow Jesus’ plan for dealing with sin even if they won’t.
Jesus said…
Matthew 5:44-45
44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,
45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
Jerry
The outcomes are not up to us, they belong to God. Our part is to follow God’s plan for dealing with sin and not return evil for evil.
To be at peace among ourselves, we must not return evil for evil.
Brandon
Then Paul said to be at peace among ourselves, we must….
- Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and in everything give thanks.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
16 Rejoice always,
17 pray without ceasing,
18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Jerry
For the church to be at peace, Paul knew the people of the church had develop an attitude of gratitude no matter how much they suffered. He knew that if even one person in the church was always complaining and murmuring, it would affect the peace of the whole church.
Brandon
To help them develop this attitude, Paul broke it down for them. He told them to…
- Rejoice always- The word rejoice means to be cheerful. Always means always. We can’t always rejoice about our circumstances, but we can always rejoice in God. Who He is, what He has done, and who He is to us never changes!
Jerry
- Pray without ceasing- The word for “pray” Paul used here means to supplicate. To supplicate means to bring your problem to God and leave the results to Him trusting Him to do what is best. This is not just an instruction to fold our hands and pray, it is a call to adjust our attitude and mindset through prayer by trusting God for His best in all things.
Brandon
- In everything give thanks- If we will rejoice in God and pray without ceasing, we will be able to see the situation from God’s perspective and gives thanks in everything. This kind of personal spiritual connection with God will cause us to have confidence that God is in control, and He is working redemptively in all of our circumstance’s.
Our grumbling and complaining robs us of peace. You know, its impossible to grumble and complain when you are always rejoicing, always praying, and always giving thanks in everything!
Paul says to be at peace among ourselves we must learn to rejoice, pray, and give thanks in everything.
Jerry
To be at peace among ourselves…
- We must not quench the Holy Spirit by despising prophetic utterances.
1 Thessalonians 5:19-21
19 Do not quench the Spirit.
20 Do not despise prophecies.
21 Test all things; hold fast what is good.
To “quench” means to “poor water on a fire”. To “despise” means not to take something seriously or to even have contempt for it.
Brandon
We quench the Spirit when we despise prophetic utterances. Prophetic utterances come in several ways…
- One way they can come is in the form of a reproof to a spiritual problem in the church.
We need to seriously consider any admonition that challenges us to keep the Lord’s commands in order to be more like Jesus. If we despise these kinds of prophetic utterances, we can continue to offend people and destroy the peace in the church.
Jerry
- Prophetic utterances can come as a vision for our personal future or the future of the church.
God gives visions to move us into alignment and stir us to do His works. When even one person in the church despises the visions God gives us, it will create conflict and rob us of peace.
Certainly, every prophetic utterance should be tested with the Word of God and with prayer to confirm if it is from God. If it is good, valuable, and aligns with God’s Word and God’s Spirit, it should be embraced.
Brandon
We all have this tendency to believe our feelings and opinions matter most. Not despising prophecy means that we elevate what God has revealed ahead of our own preferences and desires.
Paul says to be at peace among ourselves we must not quench the Spirit by despising prophetic utterances.
Jerry
To be at peace among ourselves…..
- We must abstain from even the appearance of evil.
1 Thessalonians 5:22
22 Abstain from every form of evil.
Evil always offends and destroys peace in any relationship. While some evil actions have more severe consequences, God does not rank evil at various degrees. God is perfectly righteous. He knows all evil injures others. To commit evil is a violation of Christ’s command to love others. And to preserve peace in the church, we must abstain from every form of evil.
Brandon
What can be just as destructive to the peace of a church as committing evil is for its members to lend their support to evil.
For example…
- A pastor who does not hold a rich man in the church responsible for beating his wife.
- A parent who does not hold their child accountable for their immoral behavior.
In both cases, other people are injured, and the believer is not fleeing the appearance of evil. The peace of so many churches has been damaged by disregarding this command to abstain from all forms of evil.
Paul says to be at peace among ourselves, we must abstain from every form of evil.
CONCLUSION
Jerry
Wow! This is quite a list! We could do a sermon series on each item on the list.
Brandon
And Wow, Wow! This must be very important work! If we don’t do it, it will hinder the mission of the church and the spread of the gospel!
Maintaining peace among ourselves is hard work!
Jerry
Where does the power come from to do this important work?
Paul concludes this letter and these instructions with a prayer, a statement of faith, a request for prayer, an expression of affection, a charge, and another prayer. Let’s close this series by reading the closing of this letter once more…
Brandon
Paul says…
1 Thessalonians 5:23-28
23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
24 He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.
25 Brethren, pray for us.
26 Greet all the brethren with a holy kiss.
27 I charge you by the Lord that this epistle be read to all the holy brethren.
28 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.
This is all important, but Paul’s most important closing remarks are his prayer.
1 Thessalonians 5:23-24
23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
24 He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.
What is impossible to us, is possible with God!
Jerry
Will we be a church at peace among ourselves?
INVITATION
- Invitation to believers to commit themselves to be at peace with one another by following these instructions.
Brandon
- Invitation to unbelievers to be at peace with God. (Share the gospel and invite them to receive Jesus and be baptized.)
Announce:
- New mini-series starts next week… Love Never Fails
- Complete your IMPACT Card (link on Right Now, cards in back)