A Belief That Behaves ( Part Three): 1 Thessalonians 4 by Dr. Rod Mattoon

Scripture

• 1 Thessalonians 4

About this sermon

Paul said, “Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more.” Being teachable, walking with God, and pleasing the Lord, all work together to help the Christian abound or excel in his or her spiritual growth. That is what the Lord wants for us. It is part of being fruitful. Fruitful things are things that have grown and flourished. I like what A.W. Tozer said, “Let your heart soar as high as it will. Refuse to be average.” Winston Churchill said, “I am easily satisfied with the very best.” Even Mother Goose had something to say about this matter. She said, “Good, better, best; never rest till “good” be “better” and “better” best.” The Japanese embrace the concept “Finished Never Is.” The have a word for it, “Kaizen” which means “continuous improvement.” That should be our goal in growing spiritually. Excelling or excellence is not a project or an act. It is a way of life. Excelling requires going beyond the normal call of duty and holding ourselves responsible for being our best. Excelling pays attention to high standards that we expect of ourselves. It pays attention to the little things in our lives, especially those things that can hurt our Christian testimony or spiritual growth. It pays attention to apathy or complacency that stunts growth or stifles it. In this message, Paul challenges us to be our best and excel in our walk with God. This involves recalling the commands of God and applying them in your life. We have a belief that behaves, but if you forget what the Scriptures teach or are ignorant of them, you most likely are not going to put them into practice in your life. God challenges us to listen to His Word. Beloved, God is not interested in mere lip service. He wants us to put Bible truths into action in our own lives so we will please Him and not live a life of wickedness. This is how you grow spiritually. Failure to put the Scriptures into practice will leave you stagnant in your spiritual growth. You will float like a dead leaf going downstream. This message was preached on Sunday morning, February 28, 2021 at Lincoln Land Baptist Church.

Topics

• Faith