Sunday, February 28, 2016

Paul’s Exhortation To The Church - Part 2

Temple Baptist Church - 2-28-2016
1 Thessalonians 5:14-15


Introduction:

A.  Paul, in light of the times, is exhorting the Thessalonian believers as to how to help one another within the local church. 

1.  We so often quote Hebrews 10:25 and key in on “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together.”  I cannot over emphasize the importance of faithfulness to church!  When people begin to drift from God, they automatically begin to drift from faithfulness to the local church. 

2.  I once read, “Either the Bible will keep you from sin or sin will keep you from the Bible.”  The same is true with sinfulness and faithfulness.  Exhort means to come along side of someone.  It means to help them when they are struggling.

B.  I dealt with the unruly brother by himself as church discipline, which is not what we ever want to do, often becomes necessary at some point when the brother refuses to get right.  If not preached on, when church discipline becomes necessary people who do not understand it often get offended or hurt.  The desired result of church discipline is always reconciliation.  That is why the Bible says to warn, not put out, the unruly.

C.  Tonight, I want to look at the phrase “comfort the feebleminded.” 

1.  “Comfort the feebleminded.”  No, that does not necessarily mean the senile citizens group in the church.  We do need to be supportive of our elderly members as well as those who sometimes come and do not have a normal mental capacity that allows them to function normally.  The world calls us seniors but, too often, we become a little senile with age.  We often forget; we often repeat; we often sleep in church, etc. because we become a little older.  Feebleminded means we become weak in our minds. 

2.  The Bible has so much to say about the mind.  This little 3 lb. piece of “gray matter” is the greatest computer in the universe.  With the mind we can go anywhere and do anything.  We have logic; we have emotion; we can reason; we can remember; we can plan; we can love and we can hate; we have a conscious part and a subconscious part; we can do almost anything in our mind.  The mind is great and little used when compared to its capacity.  It is commonly thought that we use 10% or less of our minds. 

3.  Too often, because of circumstances, our minds tend to be overloaded and we become confused as to what and when we should do things.  We have a tendency to give up.  We cannot see the forest for the trees.  There is an old saying, “I can’t never did anything.”  It is then that we need a “clear minded” brother or sister who can come to our aid. 

4.  In Philippians, chapter 2, Paul said, “Let this mind be in you.”  We have to make our minds think right.  We cannot allow our minds to just drift.  We must capture imaginations that exalt themselves against God.

D.  Why comfort the feebleminded?  I am only going to deal with a few of the bad conditions that our minds can get into as there are plenty of good states of mind also.

1.  Because we can have a Grieving Mind.  Genesis 26:35  Which were a grief of mind unto Isaac and to Rebekah.

2.  Because we can have a Wicked Mind.  Proverbs 21:27  The sacrifice of the wicked is abomination: how much more, when he bringeth it with a wicked mind?

3.  Because we can have a Doubtful Mind.  Luke 12:29  And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind.

4.  Because we can have a Carnal Mind.  Romans 8:6-7  For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.  (7)  Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

5.  Because we can have an Earthly Mind.  Philippians 3:19  Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)

6.  Because we can have a Shaken Mind.  2 Thessalonians 2:2  That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.

7.  Because we can have a High Mind.  1 Timothy 6:17  Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;

8.  Because we can have a Weary Mind.  Hebrews 12:3  For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

9.  Because we can have an Unstable Mind.  James 1:8  A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

No comments: