Does the name Clifton Reynolds sound familiar? He’s the driver who recently caused two automobile accidents - the first sending his car into the front entrance of a local restaurant, and the second, just over a day later, sending the other driver to the hospital in serious condition. Things like this make us ask, “Will he ever learn?”
That’s the question I’d like us to think about, applying it in this case to God’s people. We might be tempted to ask this question in a somewhat condescending way, “Will they ever learn?”, but if we’re honest, we’ve got to realize that in our own strength we wouldn’t be any different. Beloved, God has called us into relationship with Him through Christ. Let’s learn from the experiences of others who have gone before, so that we might avoid those pitfalls, and by His grace be found pleasing in His sight.
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Have you ever been in a situation where you knew you had options, one being the honestly right choice, while the other was perhaps not-so-right? As you’ll hear, we had a situation yesterday involving a flat tire. Option one - risk losing the help we needed by stating to the roadside assistance crew that we were not with the vehicle when the incident happened, which they state you have to be in order to get their help. Or option two - “fudge” the facts a bit - “Oh yes, we are right here with the car,” as we call from someplace else. Have you ever been in a place like this?
Tonight, we’re going to meet up with a king who had options - for one, he could place his trust in an earthly king who was more than able to help him. Or, he could call upon the Heavenly King, who is above every earthly king, and place his trust completely in Him. Whatever your circumstance might be, whether emotional, financial, or spiritual, you have options. So, in whom will you trust?
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It’s been said that hope springs eternal. I heard of a man sentenced to death. He obtained a reprieve by assuring the king he would teach his majesty’s horse to fly within the year - on the condition that if he didn’t succeed, he would be put to death at the end of the year. “Within a year,” the man explained later, “the king may die, or I may die, or the horse may die. Furthermore, in a year, who knows? Maybe the horse will learn to fly.”
Our hope is more sure and steadfast than that. The Bible says that we will fly one day. We shall be changed and join Christ in the air and so shall we ever be with the Lord! Comfort one another with this truth, for we have hope!
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18:
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I don’t know about you, but I’ve been quite shocked by the recent murder of that young UVA lacrosse student, Yeardley Love, at the hands of her boyfriend George Huguely. This is yet another incident that just seems to tragically prove once again that ours is a society filled with violence. And it’s not just in the news. So much of the entertainment around us glorifies violence in one way or another, be it the gratuitous slaughters depicted in popular video games, or the body counts on various TV shows and movies. That’s not to say there haven’t been some good war movies, but that’s another story.
In our chapter tonight, we’re going to see the consequences that come when God’s people ignore His standards. One of the clear results put on display in our text is the downward spiral into self-serving violence. Beloved, we can be different. Let’s learn instead to embrace the life that God calls us to and to call others toward it as well.
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Intuitively, we all recognize the importance of our mother. I heard of a teacher who gave her class of second graders a lesson on “the magnet” and what it does. The next day in a written test, she included this question: “My full name has six letters. The first one is M. I pick up things. What am I?”
When the test papers were turned in, the teacher was astonished to find that almost 50% of the students answered the question with the word “mother”. Although she was shooting for m-a-g-n-e-t, “mother” is just as valid. God values mothers and so should we. Let’s pray for our moms and encourage them the other 364 days of the year. Happy Mother’s Day!
Mary - The Model Of A Mother:
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Have you heard the expression, “Success is a fickle mistress”? We all know the sad stories of individuals who at one moment are on top of the world, while the next moment the world is on top of them. Whether it’s a sports hero, a music superstar, or a business icon, it seems that one day the world is their oyster, and the next day they’re the ones being harvested.
We will meet some kings tonight who experienced seemingly great success. It appeared that everything was going their way. But is outward success always a sign of God’s blessing? I think we know the answer to that. We can learn tonight that whether we are in a place of plenty or want, true success is defined not by our fleeting circumstance, but by our eternal relationship to God.
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It’s been said, “Love at first sight is easy to understand.” I think love at first sight is possible. It’s that second and third sight that turns that love into something else.
John Ortberg wrote a book called, “Everybody is Normal Until You Get to Know Them.” Doesn’t this describe the human condition and love? Love transcends the first impression, the pleasure someone gets through the eye. Love commits and serves when the beauty of this world begins to evaporate. God demonstrates His love for us in that while we were sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). When we were unlovely and unrighteous, Christ came and loved us. What an example to follow! May God help us to begin to love the unlovely which will transform them as well as us.
1 Thessalonians 4:9-12:
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I’m sure you’ve heard the expression “tough love”, right? That’s where someone has to make a difficult choice to allow somebody else to maybe learn the hard way. Like when your child is repeatedly late getting into the car for his ride to school, and you finally say (this time you mean it), “For the last time, if you’re not in the car at 7:30, we’re leaving without you.” And you actually do it, as excruciatingly hard as it might be. Chances are good that he’ll be the first one in the car next time!
In our passage tonight, we’re going to see how our God loves His children enough to give them “tough love”. In the midst of their repeated sinful behavior, God allows some discipline, and rather harsh discipline we might add, to come into His people’s lives. But as we’ll read, our God is a God of great mercy as well, and He knows how to perfectly strike the balance. May we learn to treasure His love toward us, “tough” as it may have to be sometimes.
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The Bible tells us what God views as permissible or as sin. It’s been said, “Sin is not bad because it’s forbidden; it is forbidden because it is bad.” God is not trying to keep us from having a good time. Actually, His commands are designed to protect us from behaviors that are destructive. We can ignore His commands, thinking that we know best, but the consequences physically, emotionally, and spiritually are unavoidable.
“Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life” (Galatians 6:7-8).
1 Thessalonians 4:3-8:
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As we begin tonight, let’s just say for the sake of argument that you’ve got quite the “green thumb”. You know what makes your garden grow, so to speak. It’s common knowledge to you that there are certain factors that need to be in place to make this happen - good soil, quality fertilizer, proper exposure to sunlight, etc. These are necessities if your garden is going to thrive.
In a spiritual sense, this is also true. Certain factors, when in place in our lives, can enable us to thrive spiritually. We know that when we read our Bibles, pray, and worship, we can be assured of growth. Additionally, when we connect with other believers, who long to know Christ in greater ways, we can be confident of continued progress.
We’re going to take another look at King Joash tonight. While this king started off with such promise, the decisions he made in terms of the people he connected and consulted with as time went on unfortunately caused his potentially blessed legacy to crumble beneath him. So, just like our garden needs the right things to thrive and not crumble, let’s be reminded that the same is true in our spiritual lives.
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