Stand Firm - By Doing More

Stand Firm: By Doing More

1 Thessalonians 4:9-12, 5:12-15

“As for other matters, brothers and sisters, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more.”
1 Thessalonians 4:1(NIV)

“And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.”
2 Corinthians 3:18

“Now about your love for one another we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. And in fact, you do love all of God’s family throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more…”
1 Thessalonians 4:9-10(NIV)

1. Let your love grow more and more.

“I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding.”
Philippians 1:9

“Dear brothers and sisters, honor those who are your leaders in the Lord’s work. They work hard among you and give you spiritual guidance. Show them great respect and wholehearted love because of their work. And live peacefully with each other.”
1 Thessalonians 5:12-13

  - Honor the leaders around you.

“Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you.”
Hebrews 13:17(NIV)

“And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone.”
1 Thessalonians 5:14(NIV)

  - Value the struggling among you.

“But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.”
Romans 5:8

“Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else.”
1 Thessalonians 5:15(NIV)

  - Extend grace when you’ve been wronged.

“Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.”
Romans 12:17-18

“If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that.”
Matthew 5:46-47

“Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we instructed you before. Then people who are not believers will respect the way you live, and you will not need to depend on others.”
1 Thessalonians 4:11-12

2. Let your life be peaceful and useful.

“For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.”
Romans 3:20

  - Make disciples, not drama.

“And now, dear brothers and sisters, we give you this command in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ: Stay away from all believers who live idle lives and don’t follow the tradition they received from us.”
2 Thessalonians 3:6

“Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.”
Colossians 3:23

“But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.”
1 Peter 2:9

“It is not what a man does that determines whether his work is sacred or secular; it is why he does it.”
A.W. Tozer