Closing Prayers & Exhortations | 1 Thessalonians 5:23-28

Scripture

• 1 Thessalonians 5:23–28

About this sermon

Introduction: The way a message ends is often a good summary of its focus throughout. Even in preaching, this is something you wish to do — you wish to finish in a way that brings together and reinforces what you have been communicating throughout. That is certainly true when we come to the end of 1 Thessalonians. What Paul has been rejoicing in, and yet teaching for at the same time, is the sanctification of this church. He has rejoiced in God’s saving work. He has rejoiced in God’s preserving work — so on display in this church. Yet he has also been teaching on behalf of their ongoing spiritual health. HE HAS NOT CONCLUDED, FROM THE WAY THAT GOD HAS TAKEN CARE OF THEM, THAT THEY NO LONGER NEED GUIDANCE AND GROWTH. God’s supernatural sustaining care for His people is not argument for concluding that they no longer need to be shepherded. So, he shepherds them through this letter. Christ died to make us God’s own — to secure us as the people of God (Positional sanctification). Christ died to save us, not just from the penalty of sin, but from the power of sin, and one day the presence of sin (Progressive sanctification). Right in the midst of a world full of spiritual dangers, damning lies, deceptive wolves, the Great Shepherd of the Sheep is developing His people, preserving His people, and making use of His people for the glory of God. And He is making use of instruments — undershepherds like Paul — to contribute to that work. So that when Paul comes to the end of this letter, his prayers and exhortations summarize all that he has been aiming at. WHAT DOES HE PRAY FOR? WHAT DOES HE HAVE ON HIS MIND AS HE FINISHES THIS LETTER OF EXHORTATION? WHAT HE HAS ON HIS MIND IS THEIR SANCTIFICATION! This morning, we consider closing prayers and exhortations for the sanctification of God’s people. We will examine these closing verses under four headings. I. A PRAYER FOR SANCTIFICATION AND PRESERVATION (vs.23-24) Right away we have a very meaningful lesson. The fact that we have this PRAYER is a lesson all by itself. A. THE PRAYER (vs.23) Paul has just TAUGHT for their sanctification. REMEMBER, we met with an extended series of rapid-fire commands. Now he PRAYS for their sanctification. This is a good reminder that working for the sanctification of others in ministry is NOT just a work of teaching, it is also a work of INTERCESSION. QUESTION: DO YOU HAVE THIS THOROUGHLY WORKED INTO YOUR VIEW OF PROGRESSIVE SANCTICATION? We are meant to labor on behalf of others not just in teaching and counsel, and encouragement, and correction — we are meant to labor in prayer. ESV Colossians 4:12 Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God. When we think about concern for the salvation and sanctification of others, is prayer firmly fixed in our minds as a part of that work? What place does prayer have in your work as a parent? What place does prayer have in your work as a Bible class teacher? What place does prayer have in our work as pastors? ALWAYS ON DISPLAY IN PAUL’S LETTERS IS HIS CONVICTION THAT PRAYING FOR PEOPLE IS AS VITAL AS TEACHING THEM. His instruction to people is always matched by his prayers for people. ESV 1 Thessalonians 1:2 We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, 3 remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. This same conviction is on display all over the Word of God. ESV Acts 6:4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word." That’s what Paul is doing here. He is praying for the sanctification of this church. NOTE: HIS PRIMARY FOCUS, WHEN HE TALKS ABOUT THEIR SANCTIFICATION, IS THEIR FINAL SANCTIFICATION. His focus is on the finish line.

Topics

• Prayer