A Belief that Behaves (Part Five): 1 Thessalonians 4 by Dr. Rod Mattoon

Scripture

• 1 Thessalonians 4

About this sermon

Paul has been stressing in this fourth chapter that we have a belief that behaves. In this message we address the issue of defrauding, cheating, or ripping off other people. We list five destructive consequences of cheating or defrauding people. Paul told us that God has not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. We are to live holy lives because the Lord is holy. It was Peter who cried out, "But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; 16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy" (1Peter 1:15-16). * Be Ye Holy for I am Holy.... * The Cherubims and flaming sword that guarded the way to the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden were symbols of a sobering truth for Adam and Eve, "Be ye holy, for I am holy." * The plumes of smoke that arose like black ghosts from the sea of flames that engulfed the ruins of Sodom and Gomorrah were warning beacons to the region and to the world in future centuries, "Be ye holy, for I am holy." * Like a curious bass that is beckoned by the shiny lure of a fisherman, God used the burning bush to capture the attention of Moses. The Lord's first message to him was, "Take off your shoes for you are on holy ground," and it is a lesson to us, "Be ye holy for I am holy." * The thuds and moans of jagged stones that ripped into the soft flesh of Achan and his family for stealing the spoils of Jericho were a reminder to God's people, "Be ye holy for I am holy." * Scorched by the fire of God, the smell of the blackened flesh of Nadab and Abihu, who offered strange fire on the altar of the Tabernacle, prompts our perception today of an important principle about purity, "Be ye holy for I am holy." * The crimson-stained swords of the Levites that dripped with the blood of 3000 slain Israelites who worshiped the golden calf, wail a weighty warning and wake up call for all of us, "Be ye holy, for I am holy." * Bitterness may beckon you like a broken, burdened beggar to take revenge. The whisper of the wild may try to woo you into wickedness. Selfishness and seduction may sing their siren songs to summon you to a life of sinfulness and sensuality. The charm of carnality and compromise from a contemptible crowd may attempt to coax you into corruption, but God's command continues to reverberate through the corridors of time, "Be ye holy, for I am holy." This message was preached on Sunday morning, March 7, 2021 at Lincoln Land Baptist Church.

Topics

• Faith