Poetic justice is defined as a literary device in which virtue is ultimately rewarded and vice punished often by an ironic twist of fate intimately related to the character’s own conduct. We find these enjoyable in the movies, books, or short stories we watch and read and they are even more satisfying in real life. I heard of a thief who was surprised while burglarizing a house in Antwerp, Belgium. The burglar fled out the back door, clambered over a nine-foot wall, dropped down the other side, and found himself in the city prison. Oops! All I could do was smile after reading that.
One day, we will stand in awe as God metes out justice for all those things where people thought they got off scott free. One day we will all say, “Righteous are You, O Lord, And upright are Your judgments!” (Psalm 119:137)
Introduction to 2 Thessalonians:
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I heard of a story of some visitors to another country. A group of tourists asked an old man if any great men were born in his small town. He replied, “No, only babies!”
God produced great men and women through the process of growth and sanctification. Growth isn’t always easy though. The ups and downs of life can be painful, but God uses it all in the life of the Christian. He is able to use suffering and difficulty redemptively. According to an old Chinese proverb, “The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor a man perfected without trials.” So we can embrace our difficulty knowing that God is working in us and making us more like Christ.
1 Thessalonians 5:23-28:
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We have all heard the saying, “If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, then it’s probably a duck.” We recognize that different cultures and even animals have certain attributes or characteristics that are dominant.
What would be the dominant characteristic of a Christian? Our culture would respond, “The dominant characteristics are narrow mindedness or a judgmental attitude.” The media does help perpetuate this stereo-type, but I’m convinced that we are largely responsible for this perception. What dominant characteristic did Christ say would distinguish us? “By this all will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another” (John 13:35). I’m convinced that we have the power to change the perception and we can only do it through the power of the Spirit. So, let’s yield to the Spirit and truly love Him and each other!
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Happy Independence Day!
Over the past 234 years, freedom has been challenged by different weapons that demanded action by our countrymen - from muskets and cannons to advanced weaponry and even our own airplanes. Andrei Sakarov was the noted Russian physicist that helped contruct the Atomic Bomb for the Russians. He said in a speech, “I have been mistaken thinking that the most powerful weapon in the world was the atomic bomb. I have now discovered that the most powerful weapon in the world is not the bomb, but the truth.”
Remember that beloved - it’s the truth. Christ said, “You will know the truth and the truth shall make you free!” (John 8:32). Celebrate the freedom we enjoy in our country but more importantly the freedom we have through Christ.
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Paul instructed the Thessalonians to be “Joyful at all times” (1 Th. 5:16). Considering our reputation in the culture, I sense that we Christians are not too good at being joyful, rejoicing at all times. Of all people on earth, Christians have so much to rejoice about.
C.S. Lewis has been known to have said, “It is the job of every Christian to be as happy as they can possibly be.” Joy and happiness are so attractive. Maybe the reason why we are not so successful evangelistically is because we lack joy. We can be so angry and upset with the situation in our world that we push people away. Regardless of the headlines in the newspapers, God is on the throne, Christ is coming back, and heaven is our home. That’s a lot to be joyful about!
1 Thessalonians 5:12-22:
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The Bible instructs fathers to, “Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged” (Colossians 3:21). Anyone who has a father or is a father knows that we don’t always live up to this ideal. Our earthly fathers let us down from time to time.
However, our Heavenly Father is always perfect. He loves us and cares for us in ways that we sometimes take for granted. From time to time we can be disappointed, thinking that He has seemingly let us down. Rather, He is lovingly directing us away from something less than His will for us. Remember we pray, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. “Remember today as we send Father’s Day greetings to our dads; let’s send a Happy Father’s Day to our Heavenly Father!
Joseph - A Faithful (Step)Father:
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Perhaps the one quote from a famous person that troubles me the most comes from Mahatma Gandhi. I’m sure you’ve heard it: “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.” Challenging words to hear.
But maybe your response to this is, “Of course I’m very much unlike Christ, Mahatma. I mean nobody’s perfect like Him!” You’re right. But beloved, here is the challenge for us today - if we have trusted in Christ, He has given us His Spirit. That means we can become more like Him. We can live like Him. Love like Him. Jesus calls us to the resurrected life, and He freely gives us what we need to live it! So let’s not stop at, “I’m so unlike Him”. By His grace, let’s go on to say, day by day, “I’m learning to live and love, just like Him.”
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Who are some of the people admired in our culture? Sports heroes, movie and television personalities, and even musicians. Honestly, I was kind of surprised with the reception that Tiger Woods received at the Master’s Tournament given his appalling behavior. Rarely does our culture admire individuals who exemplify the life of Christ. Thomas Carlyle said, “Show me the man you honor and I will know what kind of man you are.” Who are you looking to as an example? Paul said, “Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern” (Philippians 3:17).
1 Thessalonians 5:12-15:
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Do you ever try to take a step forward in something in your life, only to face resistance? Maybe you’ve made the attempt to lose that extra weight, only to find that your favorite donut shop moved in right down the street. “How did they know I was trying to drop some pounds? I can’t believe it. Well, it’s only right that I give them my business…” Look out!
In our text tonight, we’ll see King Hezekiah taking strides to move Judah forward in her devotion to God. “The shrines and the high places must come down,” said the king. But in taking those steps, Hezekiah would now face a new challenge - the conquest-hungry Assyrian army under the headship of Sennacherib. How would he face this resistance? Would Hezekiah believe his God, or be shaken by this threat? Beloved, may we learn as Hezekiah did to go deeper in our trust with God, even as the resistance may grow around us.
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We are living in some exciting days. Things are changing rapidly right before our very eyes. Jesus tells us to “watch and be ready for you don’t know the day that your Lord is returning” (Matthew 25:13). It seems that the Lord will return in our day, but He may not. The return of Christ has been the hope of the Church since the time of the Apostles.
We don’t need to be worried about those things for Christ will take care of all the details. If there are times of trouble in our future, Christ will see us through. Remember the words of Jeremiah, “I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11).
1 Thessalonians 5:1-11:
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