In good faith
1 Thessalonians 5.12-28
The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.
Prepare
What would a perfect church look like (the family of people, not the building)? What would it do (or not do)? How would the people act?
Read
Explore
I’m not an expert on first-century paper, but it feels like Paul was running out of it here! His final instructions come tumbling out one after another. Which jumped out at you when you read through them all?
Four times in these verses Paul addresses them as ‘brothers and sisters’ (vs 12,14,25,27). This is a family of faith, with all the joys and challenges that brings. The church in Thessalonica was certainly not perfect (v 14), but Paul makes harmonious life the responsibility of everyone (not simply the elders).
What do you make of verses 16–18? What does it mean to rejoice, pray and give thanks no matter what? When awful things happen, how can we give thanks? When we’re finding it hard to get up in the morning, how can we rejoice?
It helps to recognise how circumstances and our attitude can ‘quench’ the life and gifts of the Spirit (v 19) as we hold on to evil and let go of good. Hard though it is, sometimes we have to be deliberate about doing the opposite (vs 21,22).
Respond
I love Paul’s final prayer (vs 23,24). Ultimately all we have, are and will be rests on God’s faithfulness, not our own. Picture your church family – even those you find difficult – and pray these words over them: even rejoice in them.