After Paul encourages the Thessalonians to not worry about the coming day of the Lord especially in light of the fact that believers are saved from the wrath to come through the rapture of the church, he then provides instruction on how they should live in these end times. The instructions zero in on our behavior in the church. We are instructed on how we are to live amongst ourselves as believers in connection with life in the local church.

                Be at peace. In verses 12-13, Paul encourages the church to be at peace among themselves, especially out of respect for those in authority. Paul mentions those who are ‘over you in the Lord.’ The New Testament Background Commentary says, “those having authority over someone’; officially ‘stand over’, referring to the chief officers of the church, the ‘elder overseers’, whose character and duties are described in 1 Timothy 3:1–7; 5:17 and Titus 1:5–9.”^[1] These ‘chief officers’ or ‘elder overseers’ are synonymous with the office of ‘pastor’. Church authority has been a sticky point in churches for many years. One is hard pressed to find a church that operates according to Biblical guidelines for church leadership. Whether we agree with it or not, it cannot be denied that according to the scriptures, the office of pastor is certainly one of authority. You cannot sway from the fact that a ‘chief officer’ or ‘overseer’ implies that one who holds the office is the primary decision maker and leader. There is indication that the early church had some form of church membership and input by the congregants in church affairs. However, it is difficult to ascertain from the scriptures that the church is to follow a democratic form of government where the church members make all decisions. The modern form of government that is probably most closely aligned with scripture when it comes to the church would be a republic form of government. This is where church members select those who would serve as their pastors and in other areas of leadership and then trust them with the freedom to lead as they feel the Lord is leading them. There is never an example in scripture where the church membership votes on everything they do. Instead, they follow the leadership of their pastors. As Warren Wiersbe writes, “The church family must have spiritual leadership, and this leadership is vested in the pastor(s) and deacons. The church may establish whatever organizations it pleases (so long as these groups are organized according to biblical guidelines). The pastor, however, must lead the flock as God directs. Certainly he needs, and wants, the prayers and counsel of the people, especially the elected leaders; but all in the church must respect the leadership that God provides.”^[2] Churches often struggle with this concept due to bad experiences with pastors who took advantage of their positions and used their authority to usurp control rather than to serve. The issue should not be whether or not a pastor should have authority, for that is plainly laid out in scripture. The issue, however, is how the pastor serves. As Matthew Henry says, “They are called labourers, and should not be loiterers. They must labour with their people, to instruct, comfort, and edify them. And, Ministers are to rule their people also, so the word is rendered, 1 Tim. 5:17. They must rule, not with rigour, but with love. They must not exercise dominion as temporal lords; but rule as spiritual guides, by setting a good example to the flock.”^[3] Paul here encourages the church to respect and honor their pastors that serve well. He says that those who admonish you and serve out of a heart of love should be highly esteemed and respected. One Commentary suggests, “Thus a leader in the Lord gives Christlike guidance and care to the church. Such deserve recognition and great esteem, for not all lead “in the Lord.”^[4] This respect for church authority must be earned. It comes as a result of the hard labor of the pastor. It is not really about the position of the pastor, but rather, the work that the pastor does. D.M. Martin writes, “The respect of the church was due not on the basis of a gift possessed but on the basis of a gift exercised properly. The respect of the church was due not on the basis of reputation or position but on the basis of ministry performed.”^[5] If a church is blessed with a pastor that preaches the Word and leads with a heart of love, seeking what is best for the church and for the advancement of God’s Kingdom, then they should esteem them highly and follow their leadership. Paul explains that the best way to help your pastor serve well is to be at peace amongst yourselves. When church members constantly buck against a pastor’s leadership or they are divided amongst themselves, it brings much stress on the pastor and can lead to him not serving well which brings harm to the church. The best way to support your pastor is to respect him and follow his leadership and to be at peace with one another. This is possible when we are focusing on the main thing. It is when we get distracted from the essentials that we disrupt the peace. Therefore, be at peace by following your pastors, and honoring them so that the church can move forward and accomplish great things for the Kingdom.

                Warn the Unruly. In verse 14, Paul implores the church to warn those that are unruly. Dr. Larson writes, “There were those in the Thessalonian church who were so certain of the imminent return of Christ that they became lazy in their daily living. If Christ is coming back soon, they may have reasoned, what is the point of the daily grind? In their neglect they became careless in their responsibilities, spent too much time chatting over the back fence, and contributed little to the general welfare of the church. Today the attitude is opposite to that first-century expectation, but the result is the same. Christ seems so long in coming, and life keeps rolling along at a predictable clip. We become idle in our Christian responsibilities. Too absorbed in the daily routine, we fail to use our gifts, time, and lives for others and the church. Idleness springs from distorted thinking, and such thinking deserves a warning: it is wrong—stop it!”^[6] Unruliness in the church always begins with idleness. In my experience as a pastor, I have found that the people that complain the most and cause the most problems are people that don’t do anything. They are people that are not very faithful. Seldom do you see them attending worship services. Seldom do you see them volunteering their time to serve in various ministries and meeting various needs. They are idle. Yet, they are the most vocal in church business meetings. Due to their lack of faithfulness and service, they seem to have nothing better to do than to gripe and complain. In doing so, they are a hindrance to the church rather than a help. Paul encourages the church to warn those who behave in such a way. We are to warn them of their behavior and how it hurts the cause of Christ.

                Comfort the feeble-minded. There are those in the church that struggle due to various experiences and circumstances in their lives. These should be comforted and encouraged. Matthew Henry said, “By these are intended the timorous and faint-hearted, or such as are dejected and of a sorrowful spirit. Some are cowardly, afraid of difficulties, and disheartened at the thoughts of hazards, and losses, and afflictions; now such should be encouraged; we should not despise them, but comfort them; and who knows what good a kind and comfortable word may do them?”^[7] If we are honest with ourselves, we would all admit that there are times when we would be considered as ‘feeble-minded.’ We allow things to bother us and we get emotional. Sometimes we are paralyzed by fear, perhaps the fear of failure. We have failed in the past and worry that we will fail again. We are afraid to make decisions because of a bad decision we made in the past. These feelings and experiences are often carried over into the life of the church and can, at times, create a hindrance to the work. Therefore, in those moments when we are ‘feeble-minded’, we should comfort and encourage one another and help one another along.

                Support the weak. “These were the spiritually weak in Paul’s time, and they are still found in every church. Perhaps they lack knowledge or experience; it could be that they struggle with certain sins which continually defeat them; they may lack courage or find it difficult to trust God. They are weak in the faith and need to be helped along the way. We all identify with this group of people at some time or other. In our weakness and inability to conquer sin, we find that Christ helped us by the sacrifice of his life. Can we who have been so blessed do any less for others in their time of need?”^[8] Do you recall a time when you were spiritually weak? Perhaps there was a specific sin that you were struggling with. Maybe you haven’t been in the Word like you should and your Bible knowledge is lacking. Perhaps you found yourself caught up in something that you heard and you have been led down a path of false doctrine. Maybe you are filled with doubts over your salvation and you can’t seem to be at peace within yourself. Or it could be that you just feel weak spiritually. You’re just not in the mood and you are drawn to the things of this world. It is in these moments or seasons of our lives that we desperately need each other. We need encouragement. We need someone to pray on our behalf when we struggle to pray ourselves. We need someone to light a fire within us and help us get back on the right track. The church is not to make the weak feel worse by condemning them, rather, the church is to strengthen the weak by supporting them and encouraging them.

                Be patient. The key to success in any relationship or organization is patience. We are all on different levels spiritually and in maturity. We all have room to grow. Therefore, patience is imperative. “People work” can be frustrating at times. We are all so different. We mature at different rates, have different personalities and backgrounds, likes, dislikes, and habits. These factors can make it complex and difficult when we are called on to warn, help, instruct, or encourage others.^[9] Warren Wiersbe writes, “It takes patience to raise a family. That weaker member who demands much help may one day be a choice leader, so never give up.”^[10] The worse thing we could ever do in the life of the church as we wait for the return of Christ, is to give up on each other. Brothers and Sisters, we are about to cross the finish line. Yes, we may be weak. Yes, we may be tired. But we must hold on to one another. We must support one another. We must cheer for one another. We must hold hands and push and crawl our way to the finish line. We must be patient all the way to the end!

                Be Gracious. In verse 15, Paul encourages the church to respect one another. We should never seek revenge. We should never render evil for evil, but we should always be gracious. “Often as we minister to others, they reject us and even oppose us. Often they show no appreciation. But we should always serve in love, and be ready to forgive. “Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay, says the Lord. But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals upon his head.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Rom. 12:17–21, nasb).”^[11] There will always be those that oppose us. If we lived our lives constantly seeking revenge on those who come against us, we would be most miserable. As believers, we should be gracious toward all people. We should strive to do what is right no matter what others may do to us. This is the mark of a true believer.                 It is imperative in these last days that the church stay focus on its mission and on living in such a way that God is glorified and people are drawn to Him. Let us examine ourselves and make sure we are living in obedience to His Word and focusing on what matters most.

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^[1] Mare, W. H. (2004). New Testament Background Commentary: A New Dictionary of Words, Phrases and Situations in Bible Order (p. 336). Mentor.

^[2] Wiersbe, W. W. (1992). Wiersbe’s expository outlines on the New Testament (p. 605). Victor Books.

^[3] Henry, M. (1994). Matthew Henry’s commentary on the whole Bible: complete and unabridged in one volume (p. 2344). Hendrickson.

^[4] Martin, D. M. (1995). 1, 2 Thessalonians (Vol. 33, p. 174). Broadman & Holman Publishers.

^[5] Martin, D. M. (1995). 1, 2 Thessalonians (Vol. 33, pp. 174–175). Broadman & Holman Publishers.

^[6] Larson, K. (2000). I & II Thessalonians, I & II Timothy, Titus, Philemon (Vol. 9, p. 72). Broadman & Holman Publishers.

^[7] Henry, M. (1994). Matthew Henry’s commentary on the whole Bible: complete and unabridged in one volume (p. 2344). Hendrickson.

^[8] Larson, K. (2000). I & II Thessalonians, I & II Timothy, Titus, Philemon (Vol. 9, p. 73). Broadman & Holman Publishers.

^[9] Larson, K. (2000). I & II Thessalonians, I & II Timothy, Titus, Philemon (Vol. 9, p. 73). Broadman & Holman Publishers.

^[10] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, p. 188). Victor Books.

^[11] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, p. 188). Victor Books.