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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We all struggle with obedience. We know that we are saved by grace, but Christ as our Lord calls us to obey Him. Sometimes that can be a challenge for us. Thomas a Kempis said, “Instant obedience is the only kind of obedience there is; delayed obedience is disobedience. Whoever strives to withdraw from obedience, withdraws from grace.”
We may agree with that, but we may also believe that the cost of obedience may be too high at the time. I have heard it said, “the cost of obedience is nothing compared with the cost of disobedience.” May the Holy Spirit give us the courage to embrace instant obedience no matter the cost, knowing that God will bless us!
1 Thessalonians 4:1-2:
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Just say or hear certain names, and you can’t help but get a visceral reaction. Hitler. Stalin. Mao. For some people more than others, these are just a few names that evoke images or memories that are perhaps too painful to handle. There’s also the name Duke…well, never mind.
And there are Bible characters that can have the same effect. We hear the name of Goliath, and we make the attempt to picture the giant of a man whom David faced that fateful day. Judas is another one, as we play over in our minds the sinister betrayal that he perpetrated. And the woman in the account before us can also create the same reaction - or if you haven’t heard of her until this study, it’s safe to say that from here on out she will - Athaliah.
But in the midst of all the evil she masterminds, beloved, we can learn from this account down to our day - evil will ultimately fail. Not to sound trite, but if you read the end of the story, we win!
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Do you remember the somewhat pejorative term that people used in the 70’s for someone who was passionate about following Christ? That’s right…a “Jesus Freak”! I’m sure some of you younger ones are thinking, “Wait a minute, isn’t that a DC Talk tune? You know…’what will people think when they hear that I’m a Jesus freak?’” Well, before it was a hit song, it definitely had another meaning.
As we’ll hear in our study, it is possible, indeed more accurately, incumbent upon us, to be radical (yet rational) when it comes to our commitment to Christ. Yet, why is it that there seem to be pockets in our lives in which we hold back from giving Him our all, from letting Him take complete control of every part of us? We’re going to meet Jehu tonight - a classic example of one who went so far in his zeal in one sense, and yet tragically not far enough where it really mattered. Let us not miss the lesson he teaches us, for while this king was busy dealing with what was all around him on the outside, he sadly neglected the most important part - what needed to be dealt with on the inside.
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Dr. Seamands tells of a Muslim who became a Christian in Africa.
“Some of his friends asked him, ‘Why have you become a Christian?’
He answered, ‘Well, it’s like this. Suppose you were going down the road and suddenly the road forked in two directions, and you didn’t know which way to go, and there at the fork in the road were two men, one dead (Mohammed) and one alive (Jesus) - which one would you ask which way to go?’”
Good news - Christ is risen!
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OK…calling all NFL fans (and the rest of you, don’t go far)…do you know when the draft is?
It’s starting up soon and coaches and other team coordinators are looking for “impact players” - that is, those who can make a difference on the team. We all know these kinds of people in various fields, whether in music or film or sports. These are artists who sell out their shows, actors whose films lead to blockbuster ticket sales, and athletes who always make the sports news.
But maybe you don’t feel like you can make much of a difference - you’re not much of an “impact player”, you might think. In our study, we’re going to see how God can take his servant Elisha and use him to make an impact in the society around him. Beloved, Elisha was flesh and blood just like us. Be encouraged - in whatever niche of society you may find yourself, you have a part to play. In God’s eyes, as you are empowered by His Spirit, you too can be an “impact player”!
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