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

Scripture

• 1 Thessalonians 4

About this sermon

One of my favorite words of departure with family and friends when I say “Good-bye” to them is to jokingly say to them, “BEHAVE!” Some will respond and say, “You behave, too!” I tell them I will try. Haha! When you look through the epistles in the New Testament, you find that they consistently challenge Christians to live godly lives. We as believers are to have a belief that behaves. In fact, what you believe affects your behavior. We are to behave ourselves. This is a great need in the church today. Christians need to not only know what is right and wrong and how they should live, that need to LIVE OUT what the Scriptures teach. That is why it is important to know what they say. A belief that behaves is one of the reasons why Paul wanted to meet with the Thessalonians. There were areas in their lives that needed addressed. They needed further instructions on how to behave as this portion of 1 Thessalonians points out. As Christians, God wants us to walk with Him, to please Him, and to continually grow in spiritual maturity. He wants us to excel. How does this happen? In this message we address the importance of being teachable if we are to grow. * Psalm 119:33-Teach me, O Lord, the way of thy statutes; and I shall keep it unto the end. Teach me, O Lord, the way of thy statutes. Such a statement reveals vital insights. The word "teach" is from the Hebrew word yarah {yaw-raw'} which means "to throw, to shoot arrows, to pour or throw water, to instruct." The idea behind this word is the teacher is like an archer, shooting arrows of truth and trying to hit the target of the student's heart. The psalmist was saying, "Lord hit the target of my heart with your arrows of truth." This word also has the idea of drenching someone with water. The psalmist wanted the Lord to bathe him or drench him with God's truth. Our attitude should be, “Pour out the living water of your truth that I may drink and be refreshed. Teach me!” Is that your attitude? * Teach Me.... * The person who wants to have the right goals and priorities says, "Teach me!" * The person who knows he does not know it all and is seeking the right direction says, "Teach me!" * The person who wants to improve and be the best that he can be says, "Teach me!" * The person who hungers to learn more about the Lord and His Word says, "Teach me!" * The person who understands that ignorance of truth can lead to foolish choices and decisions, says, "Teach me!" * The person who has failed and messed up his life, but wants to correct his mistakes and go forward for Jesus Christ says, "Teach me!" * The person who wants the Lord to be his teacher, to influence his life, says, "Teach me!" This message was preached on Sunday morning, February 21, 2021 at Lincoln Land Baptist Church.

Topics

• Faith