Tawa Baptist

Reassurance

Scripture: 1st Thessalonians 4:13-18

Video Link: https://youtu.be/VnfIyKKRv9g

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Reassurance
  • Resurrection
  • Reunion
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

Some of you may have heard of the word Parousia. Parousia is a Greek word. It has two meanings: presence and coming. In Christian theology the Parousia refers to the second coming of Jesus.

Christians believe that Jesus will return again one day. This belief is based on various Biblical prophecies. 

Today we continue our series in Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians, focusing on chapter 4, verses 13-18. In this passage, and the verses that follow in chapter 5 (which we will look at next week), Paul addresses some concerns relating to the Parousia, Jesus’ second coming. From verse 13 of chapter 4 we read…  

13 Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of humankind, who have no hope. 14 For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.  15 According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.  17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us.

The topic of the Parousia, and end times generally, is often seen as complicated and contentious, with a wide variety of differing opinions and interpretations. But today’s Scripture reading is relatively simple and straight forward and doesn’t need to be complicated by speculation.

Three words to give you a handle on what’s important here: reassurance, resurrection and reunion. Let’s start with reassurance.

Reassurance:

Reassurance is the action of removing someone’s doubts and fears.

If your friend is worried about having bad breath, then you might provide reassurance by giving them a mint and telling them their breath smells fine.

Likewise, if someone close to you is worried about something they’ve said and whether it might have been taken the wrong way, you can reassure them by saying, ‘no one will be thinking about what you said’.

Or, if your kids are afraid of the dark, you might reassure them by leaving a night light on and saying, ‘There’s nothing in the dark that isn’t there in the light.’

We reassure people by taking away their fear and doubt.

We often need reassurance at times of transition in our lives. Starting school. leaving school. Starting a new job. Getting married. Shifting towns. Retiring. And when we lose someone we love.   

Paul had told the Thessalonians about Jesus’ second coming but, in the time Paul had been away, some of the believers in Thessalonica had died. And so the question, the concern, the doubt, the fear rose in their mind: what happens to them? If a believer dies before Jesus returns, will they miss out? Will they be left behind? Would they ever see their loved ones again?

Verse 13 and verse 18, which frame today’s passage, set out Paul’s purpose of reassuring the Thessalonian believers who were grieving the loss of people who had died. Paul is basically saying, it’s going to be okay. Those who pass away before the Parousia won’t be left behind. You Thessalonians will see your loved ones again. In verse 13 Paul writes…

13 Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of humankind, who have no hope. 

Grief creates a vacuum or a hole in our lives into which fear, worry and doubt can creep. But with the right kind of reassurance (based on truth) the hole can be filled with faith, hope and love. The truth sets people free from their fears, worries and doubts and it allows faith hope and love to grow.

Most people in the ancient world faced death with utter despair and powerlessness. Pagans believed death was the end, it was final. No more. And so their grief was heavy indeed.

But Christians have a different belief system. To the Christian mind, physical death is not final, it is not the end. Paul uses sleep as a euphemism for death because sleep is temporary. After sleep there is an awakening. And, after a good sleep, you feel better.   

Some people over the centuries have read into these verses an idea known as soul sleep. Soul sleep is the theory that when a person dies their soul sleeps in death while their physical body decomposes. Then, when Jesus returns, their soul is woken up and they are given a new body. It’s an interesting idea but it’s not without its problems. 

There are lots of theories about what happens to people in the time between them dying and Jesus returning. The Bible is not all that clear about the specifics so we should hold these theories very loosely.

The truth is, we don’t know exactly what the experience of death is like. That is not revealed to us in this life. We do know that we come from God and we return to God. That means when we die, God looks after us, so we couldn’t be in better hands.

In any case, we can say with some confidence that Paul’s intention here is not to speculate on what happens to a person between their death and Jesus’ return. Paul’s focus, in these verses, is what happens when Jesus comes back at the Parousia.         

What’s more, in verse 13, Paul is not saying that Christians cannot or should not grieve. Rather he is saying that Christian grief is qualitatively different from pagan grief because Christians have hope. Hope is the belief that something good waits for us in the future.

So, while it is painful to lose someone we love, we believe that loss is not permanent. Christian hope (in the face of death) provides an anti-inflammatory for grief. It still hurts when someone dies and we need to acknowledge our grief, but we are comforted by hope at the same time.

Resurrection:

The thing is, for reassurance to work, it has to be true. Reassurance which is made up or fake is not reassurance at all. And that’s where Jesus’ resurrection comes in. In verse 14 Paul writes…

14 For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 

Belief in Jesus’ death and resurrection is foundational to Christian faith. Pretty much everything Christians believe hinges on a belief in Jesus’ death and bodily resurrection.

If we don’t believe that God raised Jesus from the dead, then we have no basis for believing that he will raise us or anyone else from the dead. Jesus’ resurrection from the dead is the basis of our assurance. Jesus’ resurrection is the first fruits or the deposit, if you like, guaranteeing the resurrection of those who believe in him.

If you want to fly on a plane, from one place to another, you need to buy a ticket on-line. Then, once you get to the airport, you have to get your boarding pass. The boarding pass guarantees your seat on the plane.

Jesus’ death & resurrection buys us a ticket on the plane to God’s kingdom. We don’t have to pay for the ticket, Jesus has already done that. But we do need to get our boarding pass. Believing in Jesus’ death and resurrection is how we collect our boarding pass.  

So the question is: do you have your boarding pass? Do you believe in the resurrection of Jesus?

From verse 15 of Thessalonians 4, Paul continues…

15 According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 

The Thessalonians were afraid that those who had died believing in Jesus would miss out when Jesus returned in glory. Paul is saying here, ‘No, they won’t miss out. The dead in Christ are not disadvantaged in any way. Those who have fallen asleep (or died) in Christ will be resurrected when Jesus returns.’

If you fall asleep when you are on the plane, that’s okay. You will still end up in the right location and you will wake up when the plane lands. 

The Thessalonians can trust this reassurance because this is according to the Lord’s word.  It comes from Jesus, so it’s true.  

Earlier in the service we heard a reading from Matthew 24. In that passage Jesus explains what happens at his second coming and the lead up to it. Jesus says that false Messiahs will appear but we should pay no attention to them. From verse 27 of Matthew 24 we read…   

27 For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 29 “Immediately after the distress of those days

“‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’ 30 “Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earthwill mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. 31 And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.

It is pretty clear that Paul is getting his description of the Parousia from Jesus.

Three things we note about Jesus’ second coming. It is universal, it is unmistakable and it is personal. 

By universal we mean the Parousia is not localised to a particular area. It is everywhere. So it’s not like people in New Zealand are going to miss out because Jesus decides to return in the Middle East.

By unmistakable we mean you can’t miss Jesus’ second coming. It won’t be like Jesus’ first coming when he was born in a manger and only a handful of people got to see him. No. Jesus’ second coming will be clearly visible to everyone.

And by personal we mean the angels will gather those who belong to Jesus wherever they are in the world. No believer left behind.  

Now, the reflex of our 21st Century scientific minds is to ask, how is that even possible? Well, nothing is impossible for God.

If it helps, keep in mind that Jesus (and Paul) are probably using a certain degree of poetic license to describe a spiritual event. So we need to avoid interpreting these words with a crude literalism. There is a mystery to this which calls for humility. We don’t know what we don’t know.    

Rather than asking, how is the second coming even possible? We would be better to ask, am I ready for Jesus to come again?

Some of you may have heard of a series of fictional books and movies known as the Left Behind series. In this imagining of the future, Christians are raptured or taken away to be with Jesus and everyone else is left behind in a world that quickly degenerates into chaos.

If you haven’t seen the movies or read the books, then don’t bother. And if you have seen the movies and read the books, then please don’t let that colour your thinking about end times and the Parousia.

Pretty much all the experts say the Left Behind series should be ‘left behind’ because they do not represent a Biblical picture of the second coming. 

When talking about the beginning and end of human history, we need to tread lightly and admit the limits of our knowledge. In his 1949 book Christianity and History, Herbert Butterfield writes…

“We can do worse than remember a principle which both gives us a firm Rock and leaves us the maximum elasticity for our minds: the principle: Hold to Christ, and for the rest be totally uncommitted.”

Holding to Christ necessarily means holding to his death, his resurrection and his return. But the details of how and when that return will happen, we hold loosely. We keep our minds open, elastic, flexible.  

Reunion:

Holding to Christ is precisely what Paul is encouraging the Thessalonians to do. The resurrection of Jesus makes possible the reunion of believers.

In verse 17 of Thessalonians 4, Paul gets to the heart of the matter where he writes…

17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.

The key idea here is reunion. Reunion with Jesus and reunion with fellow believers who have passed on. The Thessalonians were worried that those believers who had died would miss out. But no. Paul reassures them with the certain hope of reunion. We will be together with them and with the Lord 

Now, once again, we must be careful not to miss the point. It’s not that we will float in the air on clouds with Jesus forever. A picture of heaven, with people playing harps in the clouds, is exactly the crude literalism we want to avoid.   

In all his letters Paul doesn’t show much interest in the geography or location of heaven. For Paul, heaven is being with Jesus. Eternal life, in the New Testament, is a relationship of intimacy and joy with God.

Grief can do funny things to the mind. I remember losing someone I loved in my 20’s. There was the inevitable sadness and pain of course. But there was also this longing to see them again. Just to be with them.

Once I walked into a bakery to buy some lunch and I saw someone who looked just like the person who had died. For a moment I thought it was them. It was all I could do not to call out their name.  

This person who died, I had witnessed their suffering when they were alive and just needed to know that they were at peace, that they were not suffering in death. I was still sorting through my theology of the afterlife at that point.

When someone dies and we know they are in Christ, we can comfort ourselves with the thought that they are with Jesus now, in a far better place. But it’s not always clear where people stand in relation to Jesus. We don’t know what goes on in another person’s heart. What happens to those who are not in Christ?

In my grief and anxiety for the person I had lost, God (in his grace) reassured me. One night, while I was sleeping, I had a dream in which I met the person who had died. I won’t tell you the details of the dream because it is personal to me and it won’t mean anything to you. But when I woke up and reflected on the dream, somehow I just knew this person was not suffering. And that helped me to move on.   

I know that many of you here have lost people you love and it’s not always clear where they stand with God or whether you will see them again. Some things are beyond our knowing in this life. Some things we just have to leave in God’s hands, trusting him.

We can find reassurance though, through faith and reason. Not by speculating on what we don’t know, but by returning to what we do know. And this is what we do know…

God is love and love never fails. God is just and merciful, patient and kind. The Lord loves all people and indeed all of his creation. It hurts God to see us in pain. Because of God’s character (his goodness and compassion) we can be confident that the Lord will do what is right by our loved ones when they die. 

The truth is, God is looking for ways to be reunited with us. That is why Jesus came to earth in the first place, so that we could be reunited with God and each other. Therefore, we hold to Christ: his death, his resurrection and his return.    

Conclusion:

Let us pray…

Loving Father, we thank you for your goodness and grace. You are our maker and we are your children. When we grieve, reassure us by your presence and with your truth. Fill the vacuum left by our loss with faith, hope and love in Christ. Give us a vision of the risen Jesus, returning in glory, to reunite us with you. Amen.   

Questions for discussion or reflection:

What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?

  • What is reassurance? Can you think of a time when someone gave you reassurance? What happened? How can we reassure others?
  • Why does Paul use sleep as a euphemism for death? How might we face death and grief in a healthy way?  
  • Why is a belief in Jesus’ death and resurrection so important to Christian faith? What do you believe about Jesus’ death and resurrection?
  • What three things do we note about Jesus’ second coming (as described in Matthew 24:27-31)? What reassurance can we take from these three things? 
  • How can we prepare (be ready) for Jesus’ second coming?
  • What can we do to find reassurance when someone we love dies and we are unsure of where they stand with God?
Tawa Baptist

Ethics

Scripture: 1st Thessalonians 4:1-12

Video Link: https://youtu.be/ee3SwLNEkGo

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Sanctification
  • Self-control
  • Social responsibility
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

A few days ago I found a debit card on the ground in Redwood Ave. At first I just walked passed it. I had other things to do. Then, after giving it a bit more thought, I went back and picked it up. What if the card fell into the wrong hands? If it was my eftpos card, I would want someone to return it safely.

I didn’t recognise the name on the card and a quick look on Facebook didn’t reveal any clues, so I took it to the nearest Kiwi Bank, because it was a Kiwi Bank card. They could get it back to the rightful owner.

Ethics. We make ethical decisions all the time. Sometimes the decisions are simple and straight forward, like when you find some lost property. Other times the decisions are more difficult and complex, like whether NATO should try to enforce a no fly zone over the Ukraine.  

Today we continue our series in Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians, focusing on the first 12 verses of chapter 4. This begins a new section in Paul’s letter in which he talks about Christian ethics; how Christians should behave and conduct themselves. From First Thessalonians chapter 4, verses 1-12 we read…   

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. 2 For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus. 3 It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; 4 that each of you should learn to control your own bodyin a way that is holy and honourable, 5 not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God; 6 and that in this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister. The Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you and warned you before. 7 For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. 8 Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit. 9 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. 10 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, 11 and make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, 12 so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us.

For the sake of coherence, here are three S’s to guide our thinking on this passage: sanctification, self-control and social responsibility.

Sanctification is the process of becoming holy. Self-control, in this context, is about managing our own body. And social responsibility is about consideration for other people. Let’s begin with sanctification, the process of becoming holy.

Sanctification:

How is your emergency water supply? Each of us needs to drink about one and half to two litres of water a day. Many of you will have an emergency water tank but, unless you have refilled your tank recently, the water probably isn’t potable, meaning it isn’t fit for drinking.

In an emergency, you would need to boil the water for about 5 minutes or so, to kill any bugs, before drinking it.

By way of analogy, potable water (water that is fit for drinking) is holy. It is clean, pure, good for your wellbeing and therefore set apart for human consumption. Continuing this analogy, the process of boiling the water to make it holy (or drinkable) is sanctification.

Unlike stale water, God doesn’t boil us to make us holy. But he does gently and gradually, over time, remove those attitudes and habits and practices from our lives which make us unhealthy or unsafe to be around. 

Holiness is about wholeness or oneness. When we hear the word holiness, we should think health & wellbeing, strength and integrity. We should associate holiness with love, because the two go together. They complement each other.

In Leviticus 19 God says to his people: “Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy”.

Holiness, therefore, has to do with attitudes and behaviours that are in keeping with God’s own character. And sanctification is the process of becoming more holy, like God.        

In First Thessalonians chapter 4, Paul writes…

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.

The first thing we note here is Paul’s tone and posture. Paul is not heavy handed or top down when introducing ethical teaching. Paul is not holier than thou. Paul comes alongside in a relational way. He refers to the Thessalonians as his brothers and sisters (his equals).

Notice too how Paul says, we ask you and we urge you in the Lord Jesus…    

This is the language of persuasion, not coercion.

What’s more, Paul does not appeal to his own authority in talking about ethical matters. Paul appeals to divine authority saying…     

 2 For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus. 3 It is God’s will that you should be sanctified:

In other words, these ethical instructions are not coming from me (a mere human being), they are coming from the Lord himself.

In fact, the Greek word, translated as instructions, carries the nuance of a military command that is carried down a line of soldiers. Paul then is like a fellow soldier, in the trenches, passing on orders from the general.

Another thing I want to draw your attention to in these verses is the idea that sanctification (or becoming holy) is a process. It is not instant or quick. Sanctification takes time.

When Paul says, we instructed you how to live, the word translated as live is literally walk, where walk is a metaphor for one’s lifestyle. The idea of walking suggests steady progress. It implies being on a journey.

As Paul indicates, it is not the first time the Thessalonians have heard these ethical instructions. Paul is recapping, in this letter, some of what he had already covered when he was with them in person. Repetition and reinforcement is part of any process of learning something new.

This idea of process is seen again at the end of verse 1, where Paul urges the Thessalonians to do this more and more. Sanctification, becoming holy, is incremental or step by step.       

On first becoming a Christian we can’t expect to be morally perfect overnight. Nor do we have all the answers on right and wrong. We may slip up from time to time. Two steps forward, one step back sort of thing. That’s okay, so long as we keep moving in the right direction toward holiness, toward Christlikeness. 

Perhaps the most obvious thing to point out, in these first three verses, is that the goal of Christian ethics is to live in a way that pleases God.

Living to please God indicates a dynamic relationship. Christian ethics isn’t just about following a set of rules. It’s more about understanding God’s intent (or the spirit behind the law) so that we can apply the rules in a way that pleases God. To understand God’s intent, you need to have a relationship with him.

Okay, so that’s our first S, sanctification. Our second S is self-control.

Self-control:

Some of you may go to the gym. As part of your gym routine you might do a bit of weight lifting, to build muscle mass and strength and burn some fat. Three things muscles need to grow: nourishment, exercise and rest.

Nourishment is about eating the right kind of foods. Exercise is about using your muscles regularly and carefully. And you need to rest, so that your muscles have a chance to repair. Improving your strength and fitness is a process that requires commitment and discipline in these three areas.

Self-control is like a moral muscle. Self-control enables us to do the heavy lifting of ethics. Three things you need to make your self-control muscles stronger and fitter are nourishment, exercise and rest.

We nourish our self-control by avoiding anything that would tempt us to self-indulgence and feeding our minds with that which supports us to make good choices.

Like Paul said in his letter to the Philippians: Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things.

We exercise self-control by showing restraint. Sometimes that means not talking but listening instead. Other times it means being careful about what we eat. Some of you may have given up chocolate or alcohol for Lent.

We might also exercise self-control by counting to ten when we feel angry or taking a walk to calm ourselves down. The exercise of self-control requires self-awareness.

Rest is essential to self-control as well. If we show too much restraint all the time, or if we try and suppress all desire and all enjoyment, then we will only end up doing ourselves harm. Self-control does not mean denying ourselves of every pleasure and never having fun.

Sometimes, as part of a balanced diet, you are allowed to eat cake. Sometimes we need the distraction of watching an uplifting movie. Sometimes it’s okay to have a sleep in. And, in the context of a loving marriage, it is healthy for a husband and wife to enjoy each other’s bodies.

If we are too buttoned down, too rigid all the time, we will end up doing damage to our self-control muscles, like a weight lifter who pushes too hard with their training. 

Returning to Thessalonians; from verse 3 of chapter 4, Paul focuses on one aspect of Christian ethics, namely, sexual ethics. Paul writes…

3 It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; 4 that each of you should learn to control your own bodyin a way that is holy and honourable,

The main point I want you to see here is that we avoid sexual immorality by learning to control our own body. That is, through developing our self-control.

Now it needs to be said that Christian ethics and sanctification are not solely concerned with sexual matters. Christian ethics covers a whole range of things including money, speech, work, caring for the environment, social justice, discerning when to get involved in geopolitical conflicts, and so on.

So why does Paul want to talk about sexual ethics with the Thessalonians? Well, it’s probably because the society in which the Thessalonians lived was sexually permissive. (Even more permissive than our society.)

For example, the ancient Greeks and Romans didn’t really consider adultery to be a sin. While some husbands and wives were faithful in marriage, many weren’t. It was commonly accepted that a man keep a wife for raising children and looking after the home and keep a mistress for romance and sexual gratification.

The Greeks and the Romans had made a religion out of sex. Temple prostitutes walked the streets plying their trade in the name of Aphrodite and Venus.

One in five people were slaves in the Greco-Roman world. Slaves had almost no rights under law. If a slave owner wanted to sexually exploit a boy or girl in their employment, they could do so freely.

Divorce was also rife in that culture. If a man grew tired of his wife he simply divorced her and found someone else, leaving the first wife destitute.

Incredible harm was caused by this culture of sexual immorality. The Christian ethic of self-control, promoted by Paul, protected everyone, particularly women, children and slaves who were among the most vulnerable.        

You may be wondering, what does Paul mean by sexual immorality? And what does it mean to control your own body in a way that is holy and honourable?

Well, before answering that I need to say this: please hear me as a brother. Hear my heart. I’m not speaking to you as someone who is perfect. I’m in a process of sanctification too. So I speak to you as an equal and as someone who cares about your wellbeing.

For Paul, any sexual activity prohibited by the Law of Moses is immoral.

Basically, when it comes to sex, there are two paths which Paul would have considered holy and honourable. The first path is being single and celibate. (Paul himself walked that path.) And the second is being married and faithful. 

This means, sex outside of marriage is not God’s intention for Christians. Furthermore, it is God’s intention that sex within marriage be consensual, not coerced; self-giving, not selfish; and enjoyable, not something to feel ashamed about.          

Now I realise this teaching, prohibiting sex outside of marriage, may be difficult for some. Life is not easy and we are complex creatures. Each of us comes to this with different experiences. But, whatever our history, we all have desires (whether we want them or not). We all have a need for companionship and intimacy. We all want to feel tenderness and love. God understands that. So, as a brother, let me provide some Biblical nuance to aid our understanding. 

If you have had sex outside of marriage and you are repentant (sorry) about that, then know that God is gracious and compassionate. Failure is not fatal. Jesus forgave the woman caught in adultery and said, ‘Go and sin no more’. Those who are repentant don’t have to carry around a weight of guilt and shame for the rest of their life.

For those who have been sexually abused, please know it is not your fault. You are not to blame. That abuse was never God’s intention for you.

Sexual ethics isn’t just a private personal matter. It is a matter of social justice.  As Paul says in verse 6 of Thessalonians 4, in this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister. The Lord is an avenger in all these things.

That means God understands your hurt (if you have been abused) and he will see that justice is done. The one who harmed you will be held to account.

If you have crossed the line sexually and you don’t feel sorry for it, or don’t think you can help it, then know that God wants more for you than that. As Paul says in verses 7-8: For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. 8 Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit.

God gives us his Holy Spirit to help us on the road to holiness; to enable us to make choices which are life-giving to ourselves and others.  

If someone you love is making choices in their sex life that the Bible does not condone and you are concerned for them, then know that God loves them. You don’t have to cure them. Nor do you need to agree with them. Simply seek to listen and understand. Then you will be better able to care for them.

If you are single but don’t want to be, then know you are in good company. Jesus, Paul, the prophet Jeremiah, Mother Theresa and John Stott (among many others) were single and celibate. By God’s grace they redirected their energy in service to God’s call on their life.

Despite being single, none of these people were alone. Each of them had a circle of close friends who helped to meet their needs for companionship and emotional intimacy. 

If you have never crossed the line sexually. If, somehow by God’s grace, you have always controlled your body in a way that is holy and honourable, then respect. Well done. We salute you. But be aware, there may be another area of holiness that God would like you to work on. We are all on a journey.

We have been talking about self-control in the context of sexual ethics. Self-control is the necessary pre-requisite to social responsibility.

Social responsibility:

In verses 9-10 Paul celebrates a different kind of love. Not sexual love, but brotherly love or family love. The Greek word here is Philadelphia, like the city. The kingdom of God is a city of brotherly love.

Loving others like they are our family is the foundation of social responsibility. The church is a spiritual family. You don’t get to choose your family but you still do everything in your power to look after them. It is God’s Spirit in us and among us that enables us to love like this.    

In verses 11-12 Paul enlarges the net of social responsibility to include people outside the church family; people in the wider society who we may interact with. He writes: 11 and make it your ambition to lead a quiet life:

This is a bit of an oxymoron. It’s like saying, and make it your ambition to not be ambitious. I guess the thought is, don’t be greedy, be content.

Paul continues saying, …You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, 12 so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.

Minding your own business is about exercising self-control in your speech. We need to avoid gossip and take care in how we talk about others. We have a social responsibility to look after other people’s reputation.  

Paul also encourages the Thessalonians to work with their hands. This was a counter cultural thing to say. The Greeks despised manual labour. There’s was not a DIY culture, like we have in New Zealand.

Apparently some in the church at Thessalonica were freeloading, taking advantage of the kindness of other believers. This was not good for anyone. Those who are able to work have a social responsibility to contribute as they can.

More than that, working is good for you. It provides you with a purpose and it keeps you out of trouble. The rhythm of regular work actually supports the process of sanctification and helps with developing self-control.

The Christian faith was brand new in Greece and Macedonia, in the first century. Most people outside the church were unsure of Christianity. By showing themselves to be socially responsible citizens the Thessalonian believers could earn respect and acceptance.

Conclusion:

A point of application for us here is being mindful of how those outside the church perceive us. We don’t want to worry too much about what others think but we do want to walk the talk. Our ethics both personally and publicly need to reflect God’s holiness.

Let us pray…

Holy Spirit, help us in the process of sanctification. Grant us strength when we feel weak, clarity when we feel confused, patience when we feel frustrated by our progress and grace when we stumble. We trust you to complete the work you have begun in us, for Jesus’ sake. Amen. 

Questions for discussion or reflection:

What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?

  • How do you make ethical decisions? Think of an example from your own life?
  • What is sanctification? Why do we need to be holy? What is the goal of Christian ethics?
  • How do we grow our self-control muscles? What practical strategies can we employ? How does self-awareness support self-control?
  • Why does Paul focus on sexual ethics in 1st Thessalonians 4:3-8? What does it mean to control your own body in a way that is holy and honourable? How are Paul’s words, in verses 3-8, relevant for us today?   
  • Discuss / reflect on the various aspects of social responsibility that Paul touches on in verses 9-12.
  • Is there a particular area of sanctification that God’s Spirit is working on, in you, at the moment? How might you cooperate with the Holy Spirit in this area?

Outtake:

Paul doesn’t start his letter with ethics and telling people how to live. He gives the first three chapters to affirming his relationship with the Thessalonians and letting them know how much he misses them and cares for them. So it is in the context of care that Paul by talks about right conduct.

Tawa Baptist

Jealous Love

Scripture: 1st Thessalonians 3:1-13

Video Link: https://youtu.be/6GVYmiFNkE0

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Paul’s vulnerability
  • Paul’s jealous love
  • Paul’s desire
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

Roller coasters. You either love them or hate them. There’s no middle ground. I’m definitely not a fan. My cousins and I were thrown off the Sizzler when we were kids and it left its mark.

Unfortunately, our children don’t share my mistrust of roller coasters and so, when they were younger, I reluctantly had to accompany them on these sorts of rides. They had a great time. Me? Not so much.

Someone once told me, never get on the roller coaster with your kids. They were speaking metaphorically. They meant don’t get carried away with whatever drama is happening in their life. Don’t let their emotions dictate your mood.

This person meant well but parenthood doesn’t work like that. If your kids are seriously ill or being treated unfairly or if they achieve some success, then you feel it with them. If you love anyone, you will be affected by what they go through. You are on the roller coaster with them whether you like it or not.       

Today we resume our series in Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians, focusing on chapter 3. You may remember how, in chapter 2, Paul had affirmed the Thessalonians’ faith, belonging and relationship. In today’s reading, we see that Paul has been on a roller coaster with the Thessalonians, his spiritual children. He gets a bit emotional and expresses his feelings.   

From verse 1 of First Thessalonians chapter 3 we read…

So when we could stand it no longer, we thought it best to be left by ourselves in Athens 2 We sent Timothy, who is our brother and co-worker in God’s service in spreading the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith, 3 so that no one would be unsettled by these trials. For you know quite well that we are destined for them. 4 In fact, when we were with you, we kept telling you that we would be persecuted. And it turned out that way, as you well know. 5 For this reason, when I could stand it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith. I was afraid that in some way the tempter had tempted you and that our labours might have been in vain. 6 But Timothy has just now come to us from you and has brought good news about your faith and love. He has told us that you always have pleasant memories of us and that you long to see us, just as we also long to see you. 7 Therefore, brothers and sisters, in all our distress and persecution we were encouraged about you because of your faith. 8 For now we really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord. 9 How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you? 10 Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again and supply what is lacking in your faith. 11 Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus clear the way for us to come to you. 12 May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. 13 May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us.

Three things we note here: Paul’s vulnerability, Paul’s jealous love for the Thessalonians, and Paul’s heartfelt desire. First let’s consider Paul’s vulnerability.

Paul’s vulnerability:

Elton John wrote a song in tribute to Marilyn Munroe. It was later adapted for Princess Diana. In the chorus he sings: And you lived your life like a candle in the wind, never knowing who to turn to when the rain set in…

The image of a candle in the wind, is the very picture of vulnerability. 

To be vulnerable is to be unprotected, in a precarious position, exposed or at risk of harm. When you love someone, when you care about them deeply, your heart is vulnerable, you are on the roller coaster with them whether you like it or not. Likewise, when you need someone to love you, your heart is vulnerable, like a candle in the wind.

In his book, The Four Loves, C.S. Lewis writes…

To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully around with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable.

Paul understood vulnerability well. Before his conversion, Paul was hard hearted and hell bent on persecuting the followers of Jesus. But Jesus transformed Paul’s heart. Jesus made Paul vulnerable to God’s grace.    

The word vulnerability is not explicitly mentioned in today’s reading and none of the commentaries I read talked about it specifically so you may well wonder, how exactly is Paul vulnerable?

Well, it is both the tone of his writing here and the way in which he is so open with the Thessalonians about his feelings. Paul, the intellectual and theological giant, is wearing his heart on his sleeve and being honest about his need for them.

In verse 1 of chapter 3 Paul says, when we could stand it no longer… And in verse 5 he repeats this same line, only more personally saying, when I could stand it no longer. The thing Paul couldn’t stand here was not knowing how the Thessalonians were getting on. He was anxious for their wellbeing. But Paul also needed to know that the Thessalonians loved him.

Why was Paul so anxious? Why was he feeling so vulnerable? Because he had opened his heart to the Thessalonians and let them in.

In verse 8 of chapter 2 Paul actually says: We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well. Love anything and it will make you vulnerable.       

Paul had a lot riding on the Thessalonians. If they threw in the towel of their faith then not only would Paul’s work with them be in vain, he personally would feel like he had lost family members. The Thessalonians were his spiritual children. He was like a mother and a father to them in the faith. If they had given up on their faith, Paul would have been devastated.

But Paul is not devastated. Quite the opposite. From verse 8 of chapter 3 Paul writes…

8 For now we really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord. 9 How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you?

Before Paul received news that the Thessalonians were doing well, he was beside himself with worry over them. He couldn’t stand not knowing.

And when you feel vulnerable like that, you can’t really enjoy anything. You just sort of get by on a knife’s edge. Now that Paul knows they’re okay, that he hasn’t lost them, he can really live. In other words, he can enjoy life again.

The thing with being vulnerable is that it doesn’t always feel pleasant at the time. Vulnerability can feel risky, or unsafe, like you are not in control. The vulnerability of love requires faith.

Even though it feels risky, allowing yourself to be vulnerable with another person opens the door to intimacy, to closeness. Vulnerability creates a bridge, a connection. Vulnerability, when it is well placed, is the antidote to loneliness.

But we need to be discerning about who we choose to be vulnerable with. As Jesus said, don’t throw your pearls before swine. Don’t open up the treasures of your heart to someone who is going to treat those treasures cheaply.      

And, if someone shares something with you that makes them vulnerable, handle that pearl with gentleness and care. Be worthy of that person’s trust.

Paul was vulnerable with the Thessalonians and he loved them with a jealous love.

Paul’s jealous love:

For many people, jealousy is a bad word. We have a tendency to collapse jealousy and envy into one. But they are not the same thing.

Jealousy is when we feel like something we already possess is at risk of being taken away from us. In contrast, envy is the desire to have something that does not belong to us.

Can you see the difference? Jealousy has to do with losing something that is rightfully ours, whereas envy is about coveting what is not ours. 

Jealousy can sometimes cause us to behave in ways which are resentful or vindictive. But jealousy can also move us to do good things. Jealousy gives us courage to protect what we love and determination to restore what we have lost.

God describes himself as jealous. You probably know Jesus’ parable of the shepherd who went looking for the lost sheep. The shepherd left the 99 to find the one that was lost. That is a picture of God’s jealous love. His drive (or his zeal) to restore and protect what he loves and what rightfully belongs to him.

Jealousy is not necessarily a bad thing. It is a powerful energy that needs to be channelled for other people’s wellbeing.

When I was a child my grandparents took me with them on holiday to the beach. We stayed in a remote part of the Bay of Islands, up north, surrounded by bush, beaches and sea. My grandfather taught me to fish and to shoot. It was a boy’s paradise.

One day (I was about 7 or 8 at the time) my grandfather and I were doing some target practice with a .22 calibre rifle. Not a very powerful gun, but useful for shooting rabbits and possums and other cute furry animals that would otherwise destroy the environment.  

Anyway, while we were doing our target practice, a woman emerged out of the tea tree scrub yelling at us. She was angry; I’m mean next level angry, telling us in no uncertain terms to stop shooting at her family. She was mistaken. We were not shooting at anyone. Her family were never in any danger. My grandfather was very careful with guns. 

I guess, because we were on a hill, the rifle shots could be heard echoing around the bay and she thought the worst, that her family were under attack. As it transpired this mother had walked about three kilometres over rocks, through dense bush and up a very steep hill to protect her children.

And she did this knowing that the people she was intending to confront had a loaded gun. Incredible determination and courage. As I reflect on that event now, I realise this mother was exhibiting jealous love for her family. She was willing to risk her life to protect them.

We put the gun away for a few days and she walked back into the bush from whence she came, never to be seen again.

Nowhere in today’s reading from Thessalonians do we find the word jealousy, but we do come across the word love a couple of times. In any case it is clear, from the feelings and actions Paul reveals, that he loved the Thessalonians with a jealous love, like the mother in my story.

Verse 5 reads…

For this reason, when I could stand it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith. I was afraid that in some way the tempter had tempted you and that our labours might have been in vain.

The believers in Thessalonica were brand new Christians and Paul had not had a chance to complete their basic training. They were like Macualay Culkin, in Home Alone, having to fend for themselves in a hostile environment. And Paul was like a stressed and anxious parent, worried how they were getting on.

So Paul sent Timothy (his right hand man) back to Thessalonica. It’s about 500kms from Athens to Thessalonica, which takes a day in a train. But it probably took Timothy over two weeks, each way, on foot.

The New Zealand women’s cricket team (the White Ferns) are playing Australia at the Basin today. Australia are the team to beat.

Quite often, when you are at the cricket, you see people wearing captain’s hats. At first I just thought it was a group of mates dressing up the same. But then I kept seeing these captain’s hats at other games around the country. It wasn’t until I heard someone say: ‘Steady the ship’, that the penny dropped. 

The fans wear captain’s hats to ‘steady the ship’. It is a message of support to the batsman to not throw their wicket away. Stay calm, take it easy. Believe in the leave. You can’t score runs back in the pavilion.

As much as Paul wanted Timothy to stay with him in Athens, his jealous love for the Thessalonians was greater. The new believers in Thessalonica were getting a hard time for becoming Christians. Timothy’s visit was intended to steady the ship. That is, to strengthen and encourage the young believers in their faith.

In verses 2 to 5 Paul talks about persecution and trials and being tempted to abandon Christ.    

Paul says they were destined for these trials and that he kept telling them to expect persecution. This fits with the teaching of Jesus who said it would not be easy following him.

We, in New Zealand today, are not persecuted like the Thessalonians were. But that doesn’t mean we get off Scott free. Our beliefs and values sometimes put us at odds with the wider society in which we live.

But even if society agreed with and supported Christian faith, we would still face testing in some form. It seems to be necessary for faith development, like putting cake mixture in a hot oven is necessary for baking the cake.

What we find is that our faith is usually tested when we are at our weakest and not when we expect it. Temptation is never fair.

Two of the gospels tell us how Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness for 40 days. It was necessary for Jesus to go through this and overcome.

Unlike Jesus, we don’t always overcome when we are tempted. But the good news is that Jesus has done for us what we are not able to do for ourselves. We may lose the odd battle with temptation but that should not discourage or defeat us, for Jesus has won the war.

If we do trip and fall, it does not mean we are out. The Lord is gracious and compassionate. We admit our mistakes, pick ourselves up and carry on in the faith. It’s like Winston Churchill said: Success is not final. Failure is not fatal. It is the courage to continue that counts. 

Much to Paul’s relief the Thessalonians did not give in to the temptation to abandon their faith. When Timothy returned with the good news that the Thessalonians’ faith and love were strong and that they longed to see Paul as well, Paul was greatly encouraged.

Paul’s desire:

Wrapped up with Paul’s jealous love and vulnerability is Paul’s heartfelt desire for the Thessalonians. From verse 10 we read… 

 10 Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again and supply what is lacking in your faith.

Prayer isn’t just the words we say to God. The essence of prayer is our heartfelt desire. Words may give expression to that desire but so might our tears or our sighs or our groaning or our laughter.

Paul’s heartfelt desire is to be reunited with his spiritual children, not just for his own comfort but more to supply what is lacking in their faith.

John Stott sheds light on the meaning of ‘supplying what is lacking’. If we think of the Thessalonian’s faith as a fishing net, then Paul is like a fisherman who wants to repair the net. Or, if we think of the Thessalonian’s faith as a broken leg, then Paul is like a surgeon who desperately wants to set the bone properly.  

Or to use another metaphor, the Thessalonians have made a great start to their Christian faith journey, but they need a few more essential supplies in order to stay on the right track, like a map and a compass and a torch.

Paul doesn’t just talk about praying; he can’t help but actually break into a spontaneous prayer for the Thessalonians from verse 11…

11 Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus clear the way for us to come to you. 12 May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. 13 May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.

Verse 11 describes Paul’s desire to see the Thessalonians in person again.

Verse 12 describes Paul’s desire for the Thessalonians’ love to increase, something only the Lord can do.

And verse 13 describes Paul’s desire for the Thessalonians to grow in holiness, from the inside out. (From the heart.)

Holiness is an unpopular word these days. It gets a bad rap. People tend to associate holiness with being superior or thinking you are better than others. Like that expression, ‘holier than thou’.

But that’s not a fair or accurate description. Holiness is about wholeness. When we hear the word holiness, we should think health & wellbeing, strength and integrity. We should associate holiness with love, because the two go together.  They complement each other.      

At home in our garden we have a tomato plant. It was only about two or three inches high when I first planted it, just tiny. Since then it has grown a bit and we now have some fruit.

At first I didn’t need to put a stake next to it because when the plant was small it could stand by itself. But now it has grown it needs a stake (alongside) to support it. And with all the dry weather we are having lately it needs to be watered pretty regularly too.

Perhaps the Thessalonians were like my tomato plant. They needed the water of love and the stake of holiness in order to be healthy & whole, fruitful & strong.

Conclusion:

This morning we’ve heard about Paul’s vulnerability, his jealous love and his heartfelt desire for the Thessalonians. All of these are an expression of Paul’s deep care for the Thessalonians.

Whose roller coaster are you on at the moment? Who is making you feel vulnerable? Who is triggering your jealous love? Who is occupying space in your heart?

Is it your partner in marriage? Your kids? Your parents? A friend? An enemy? A workmate? The people of Ukraine? The people in your neighbourhood?

What do they need? What do you need?

Let us pray…

Loving Father, you see what is in our hearts. You know our vulnerability. You understand our fears and our desires. In you we have all we need. Fill us with your Spirit of love and holiness, so that we may care well for others and for ourselves. Through Jesus we pray. Amen.

Questions for discussion or reflection:

What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?

  • Do you enjoy roller coasters? Why (or why not)?
  • Why was Paul feeling so vulnerable in relation to the Thessalonians? What does he do with this feeling of vulnerability? How does he express it? How might we know when we are feeling vulnerable? How might we express our feelings of vulnerability in a healthy way? 
  • What is the difference between jealousy and envy? Can you think of an event in your own life when jealous love was triggered in you? What happened? How did you respond? How might we channel our feelings of jealousy for the wellbeing of others?
  • What is the essence of prayer? In what ways can we express our prayers to God?
  • What was Paul’s heartfelt desire for the Thessalonians? (in verses 11-13) Why do you think Paul puts love and holiness together? How do love & holiness complement each other?
  • Whose roller coaster are you on at the moment? Who is making you feel vulnerable? Who is triggering your jealous love? Who is occupying space in your heart? What do they need? What do you need?
Tawa Baptist

Elinor Thornton

Scripture: John 4:1-42

Video Link: https://youtu.be/Al3mm5Bfiow

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • The woman at the well
  • Elinor Thornton
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

Today is Baptist Women’s History Day. Last year we learned about New Zealand’s first overseas missionary, Rosalie Macgeorge. This year we feature Elinor Thornton, a pioneering preacher and evangelist.

In stereo with Elinor’s story is the gospel story of another pioneering evangelist, the Samaritan woman who encountered Jesus at the well, in John 4.

Although Elinor led a very different lifestyle from the Samaritan woman, they did share at least two things in common: they were both hungry for something more in this life and they both became unlikely evangelists.   

The woman at the well:

Let’s begin with a reading from John 4, to remind us of Jesus’ conversation with the Samaritan woman at the well…

4 Now he [Jesus] had to go through Samaria. 5 So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph.  6 Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon. 7 When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” 8 (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.) 9 The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.) 10 Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” 11 “Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water?  12 Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?” 13 Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” 15 The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.” 16 He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.” 17 “I have no husband,” she replied. Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. 18 The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.”

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us.

One of these kids is doing their own thing? It was an iconic scene from the TV show Sesame Street. Three kids doing the same thing and one kid doing their own thing, being different.

Sometimes doing your own thing can be selfish or harmful, but not always, and never on Sesame Street. There is a time and place when doing your own thing, standing out from the crowd, being different, is life giving and necessary for the well-being of the wider community.     

The Samaritan woman is not like the other women of her village. She is doing her own thing. Most women in her culture would go to the well at the beginning or the end of the day, in a group together. But this woman chooses to go in the middle of the day, alone.

Jesus is doing his own thing too. Most men in that culture would step aside and put a distance between themselves and another woman. They certainly wouldn’t speak to a woman in public, much less ask her for a drink.

This is a very unusual interaction indeed, made even more extraordinary by the fact that Jesus is Jewish and, historically, Jews and Samaritans hated each other. Lots of bad blood and chilly silences between them.

But Jesus is not interested in holding a grudge. Who has the time and energy for that? He engages in a conversation with this woman from a position of weakness and need. He is thirsty and asks her for some water.

We aren’t actually told whether Jesus gets a drink but I guess that’s not the point. The banter goes back and forth and the woman is, quite understandably, a bit cynical at first. Jesus goes to on talk about living water and how he is the source of a water supply that will quench her thirst for good.

The woman can’t begin to imagine what Jesus means. For her, living water probably meant spring water, fresh water that bubbles to the surface by itself, as opposed to well water which has to be drawn out by hand.

She may be thinking literally but the living water Jesus has in mind is most likely the Holy Spirit. Those who are filled with the Spirit of Jesus not only stand to have their own thirst for intimacy with God met, they also become a spring for others.

As the conversation carries on it becomes clear that this woman has a thirst in her soul which no man (so far) has been able to quench. She has been married five times and now she is in a de facto relationship.

We are not told the back story with these six relationships but it is pretty clear this woman has been through the mill. Whether she is a widow or a divorcee or an adulterer or all three, she is first and foremost a person and she has suffered. Jesus sees her loneliness and hunger and he cares for her.    

As they continue talking about God and worship the woman begins to soften. From verse 24 we pick up the thread of the conversation, where Jesus says…

24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”

25 The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” 26 Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.”

Jesus reveals to her that he is the Messiah. In him she will find the salvation of living water.

Ephrem the Syrian sums up the movement of this chat nicely when he writes…

At the beginning of the conversation Jesus did not make himself known to her; …first she caught sight of a thirsty man, then a Jew, then a Rabbi, afterwards a prophet, last of all the Messiah. She tried to get the better of the thirsty man, she showed dislike of the Jew, she heckled the Rabbi, she was swept off her feet by the prophet and she adored the Christ.  

The conversation finishes when the disciples return…

28 Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, 29 “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?” 30 They came out of the town and made their way toward him.

This most unlikely person, a Samaritan woman with a fifty shades darker reputation, becomes one of the first Christian evangelists, telling the people of her town about her experience of Jesus.    

Jesus enjoyed the hospitality of that town for two days and by the end of his stay people were saying, “…this man really is the Saviour of the world.”  

Elinor Thornton (nee Wilson):

I quite like the poetry of Bruce Springsteen. He has a song called Hungry Heart. There’s a verse towards the end of the song where he sings…

Everybody needs a place to rest

Everybody wants to have a home

Don’t make no difference what nobody says

Ain’t nobody like to be alone

Everybody’s got a hungry heart…                                                                     

What makes the Boss so good is his understanding of people. Each of us has a hunger deep in our soul which no amount of steak and chips can satisfy. That hunger moves us; it shapes and influences the choices we make in life.

The woman at the well knew all about that hunger and so did Elinor Thornton.

Elinor Thornton was born Elinor Wilson, in Ireland, in 1867. She was one of six children. Her father was a farmer. The Wilson family arrived in New Zealand to start a new life in 1875. Elinor was around eight years old at the time. [1]

Elinor’s family believed in education, which was just as well because Elinor loved to read. Books were her friends. Her family were church goers and Elinor excelled in Scripture, coming first in her class. Even from an early age Elinor felt a hunger for God. I imagine reading the Bible was one way she fed that hunger.

When asked which is the greatest commandment in the Law, Jesus said: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind. Reading the gospel, and reflecting on what we read, cleans the inside of the cup. It is one of the ways we love God with our mind.

When we read we deepen and widen our understanding and our ability to think. Reading can transport us to different worlds. Reading quality books makes us the beneficiaries of the wisdom of other people’s experience.

For some people reading is hard work and for others it is a pleasure. Either way, reading good content is a wonderful antidote to ignorance. And, as followers of Jesus, we can’t afford to be ignorant because ignorance causes harm. In short, reading helps us to know how to love God and our neighbour and ourselves.

So why not check out our church library, over in the church office. Elaine has selected some great books, which are there to help us love God with our mind.  

When Elinor turned 14, she confirmed her baptism and remembered feeling ‘strangely moved’. Spiritual experiences like this tend to be the exception, not the rule. The routine and demands of life took over and, at the age of 15, Elinor took her first teaching position in a school. She rode six miles each way on horseback.

Teaching is a meaningful profession and yet, after three years, Elinor’s hunger for something more remained. Restless she moved to Thames to take up a teaching position there.

While in Thames, Elinor was stirred by a message she heard from the Salvation Army. After re-reading the Scriptures and seeing them in a new light, Elinor stood in a public prayer meeting and admitted to trusting in Christ. This was the start of something new.

Perhaps like Elinor you have had a similar experience. Maybe, if you grew up in a Christian family, you saw God and Jesus through the lens of your parents’ point of view. It was like piggy backing off your parents’ faith. You simply accepted what they told you. There is nothing wrong with this. It is what a child naturally does.

But then, as you became an adult and started to think more for yourself, you saw God through a different lens, the lens of your own experience. Something shifted inside you, so it was like you owned the Christian faith for yourself, rather than just borrowing it from others.

Whatever our upbringing, God puts a hunger in our heart to know him, a longing to be close to him and enjoy him. Part of that hunger includes the desire to serve him, to use the gifts he has given us for his purpose.

Elinor’s gift was with words. At the age of 18 she started a small meeting in the Thames village and another one in the school after teaching for the day. I’m not sure exactly what the format of the meeting was but I imagine it included prayer, preaching and singing hymns. 

God blessed the work and made it fruitful. A boy of 18 became a Christian through one of these meetings and later went on to missionary work in Africa. 

Returning to John 4 for a moment. After the woman at the well had gone back to the village, Jesus’ disciples urged him to eat something…       

32 But he [Jesus] said to them, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.” …My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.

The thing that fed and nourished Jesus’ soul was doing the work God had sent him to do.

Perhaps we too have a hunger in our soul to participate in the creative, redemptive work of God. Something in us wants, or more precisely needs, to serve God’s greater purpose. For it is in serving God, in the specific way he has prepared for us, that our life finds its meaning.

The work of God that Elinor needed to do was evangelistic preaching. But that won’t necessarily be the work God has prepared for you to do. Yes, we must all be prepared to give account of our faith to those who ask, but we are not all called to be preachers.

It’s like what Paul says in Romans 12…

6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with yourfaith; 7 if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead,do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

This is not an exhaustive list of the gifts, just a sample. The question is: what grace (or gift) has God given you to share? How does God want us (both individually and collectively) to serve his purpose of salvation? Knowing that, and doing it, go a long way to satisfying our soul’s hunger for meaning.

From Thames, Elinor moved to Remuera to work as a school teacher. She was there for three years, during which time she also taught Bible class, Christian Endeavour and helped with the Sailors’ Mission.

The job in Remuera was great. Elinor loved her time in Auckland. It was the centre of Christian activity. She might have stayed, except for a call to the back and beyond. It seems God was leading her away from the centre, to people on the edges.  

Ewen McGregor, a land and saw mill owner from the Rangitikei, in the heart of the New Zealand bush, invited Elinor to teach school for 40 children and lead a worship service every Sunday.

Elinor wrote afterwards that: ‘Mr and Mrs McGregor were as astonished as I myself when a girl was suggested. But I prayed over the matter for a month or two, then realised that the call was from God.’

In 1897, at the age of 30, Elinor left the desirable Remuera teaching position and accepted the job in the bush. She spent two years there. Nearly the whole village came to her Sunday services. During this time men and women were led to Christ. Elinor recalls one such meeting…

I sought to preach Christ in my own very simple fashion hardly looking for or expecting any definite or immediate results, for I knew nothing of evangelistic methods… I was about to close the meeting in the usual way… when a member of the congregation rose to his feet and asked if he might say something.

He was Mr Alexander, a man of splendid character, respected by everyone. I said we would be glad to hear what he had to say. Mr Alexander spoke…

‘I want to say that, until I began to attend these services a few months ago, I never realised that it was for me that Christ had died. Now I know it, I want everybody else to know it and I am so glad to acknowledge myself as his follower. By his grace I will follow him and serve him as long as I live.’  

No sooner had Mr Alexander sat down and another man jumped to his feet to make a similar declaration of faith. This began what can only be described as a revival. We experienced continually days of the right hand of the Most High. In almost every home there were those who openly identified themselves with Christ.

There was something about Elinor’s preaching which opened people’s hearts and minds to God’s love for them personally. Ultimately it is God’s love that satisfies the hunger in our soul.

Elinor’s preaching reminds us of Paul’s words to the Corinthians, where he says…

And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. 2 For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3 I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. 4 My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, 5 so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.

In many ways, Elinor was an unlikely evangelist. She was a relatively young, bookish woman speaking to tough burly men, for the most part, at a time in history when equal opportunity wasn’t really a thing. And yet God used Elinor to bring many to a personal faith in Jesus.

After two years Mr McGregor encouraged Elinor to give up school teaching and devote all her time to evangelism. She commenced her work in Mangaweka, renting out the town hall for mission meetings. All sorts came to listen to the gospel. She continued for about two years travelling and preaching, not unlike Jesus’ ministry.

Then, in 1902 at the age of 35, Elinor Wilson married the Rev Guy Thornton. They had known each other from seven years earlier. They would have two daughters.

For the next 12 years they joined in itinerant mission work and brief pastorates in Otahuhu, Christchurch, Ohakune, Morrinsville and Whangarei.

Some of these places (particularly Ohakune) were quite remote and the accommodation wasn’t that flash. Guy’s health suffered and there were weeks when he was laid up in bed. Which is when Elinor stepped in to maintain his work. She was described as a person of great saintliness and a fine preacher.

Elinor kept up her preaching ministry in New Zealand when Guy went to serve (as a chaplain) in World War One.  When Guy became ill in hospital, in London, Elinor and their daughters sailed across the world to be with him.

For a while, between 1916 and 1919, Elinor and Guy served as missioners in England under the YMCA. Elinor preached in some quite large venues and people accepted Jesus as their Saviour.

Elinor and Guy ministered in England during the great flu pandemic which followed on the heels of the First World War. It was, in some ways, like our Covid pandemic, except without the vaccines.

Preaching the gospel at that time, in the wake of so much human tragedy and loss, must have been hard graft. Many people had become disillusioned and struggled to reconcile the God of love with the vicissitudes of recent experience. But Elinor and Guy remained faithful to their calling, continuing in good times and bad.

Elinor, who by now you realise was very capable, returned to New Zealand before Guy. Not one to sit around idle, she started services in Lyall Bay, here in Wellington. Then, when Guy followed, they moved to South Dunedin Baptist in 1922 to serve there.

Guy died in 1934, during the Great Depression. Not an easy time for Elinor who was 67 by that stage. But still Elinor remained fruitful. Her love of reading had inevitably led to a love of writing. By the time she died Elinor had published five books.

Elinor went to be with the Lord in 1946, not long after the Second World War ended. She was 79 years old.

Conclusion:

Like I said at the beginning of this message, Elinor led a very different lifestyle from the Samaritan woman in John 4. But they did share at least two things in common: they were both hungry for something more in this life and they both became unlikely evangelists.

The other thing they share in common is courage. Both women had the courage to be different and to speak up for Jesus.

In both their stories we see the hand of God at work. The woman at the well was not willing to help Jesus at first. She was cynical to begin with. But something shifted in her as she spoke with Jesus. Then she couldn’t help but tell everyone about the Messiah. And people believed in Jesus because of her testimony.   

In contrast, Elinor was willing, even from a young age. Willing to leave home. Willing to stand in a public meeting to declare her faith in Jesus. Willing to leave the comfort of Remuera to serve God in Rangitikei. Willing to sail to the other side of the world. Willing to be different; to lead missions and preach at a time when women didn’t often get the opportunity. And people believed in Jesus because of her testimony.  

Today’s message is more than just a history lesson or an inspiring story.

The point is that God can use you too. Are you willing?

Let us pray…

Father God, we thank you for your wisdom and grace. Satisfy the hunger in our soul with your Spirit. Help each one here to discover the gifts you have given them, so that we might serve your purpose of salvation. Give us willing hearts, informed minds and courage to share your love. Through Jesus we pray. Amen. 

Questions for discussion or reflection:

What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?

  • Why do you think Jesus crossed social and cultural boundaries to have a conversation with the woman at the well in John 4? How does Jesus approach this woman?
  • What do you think Jesus has in mind when he talks about ‘living water’ in John 4?
  • How might we love God with our mind? What practical things can we do? Do you have regular practices of spiritual reading to develop your faith? If not, how might you incorporate a regular rhythm of sacred reading into your weekly schedule?
  • Are you aware of the hunger in your soul? How does this hunger influence the decisions you make? Do you know God’s love for you personally?  
  • In what ways were the woman at the well (in John 4) and Elinor similar? In what ways were they different?
  • What grace (or gift) has God given you to share?  How are you (or how could you) share this gift?

[1] https://www.bwnz.org.nz/womens-history-day-and-woman-of-the-month-elinor-thornton-1867-1946/