! Thessalonians 2:7-12

It is June 20th and it is great to get back to preaching.

1 Thes 2:7-12 Loving The Lost

INTRODUCTION: Today our world lives in a love dilemma. We confuse love for acceptance. And that which we or those whom we disagree with we cannot love. Or in order to love them we accept their sinful behavior. Nowhere in the Bible does it teach unconditional acceptance of a person’s sin. If Jesus was going to just accept our sinfulness or redefine it, or excuse it he would not have gone to the cross to die for it. How do we not accept and even condemn sinfulness and still love someone, even when that sinner is our self? This is difficult for us in today’s world, true in relationship. Notice that Paul says they loved them vs 8 that they shared not only the words of the Gospel but their lives. All too often we want to share a condemning Bible verse to convict a person and then walk off, but God calls us to not just share His word but to BE His Word. To share or give our life. Paul shows us three things to do in loving the lost.

1. ENCOURAGE THEM

A. NOT IN THEIR SIN

a. Romans 1:32 condemns those who approve of others doing evil

b. 1 Cor 5:1-11 has a similar warning as does Rev chapters 2 & 3

B. PASSING WEIGHTS IN THE POOL

C. THAT GOD FORGIVES

D. THAT GOD LOVES THEM

E. TRANSFORMATION IS POSSIBLE WITH JESUS’ HELP

2. COMFORTING THEM

A. PICK THEM UP

B. PATCH THEM UP

C. HELP THEM WALK

3. URGING THEM TO LIVE A LIFE WORTHY OF GOD

A. NOT BLESS THIS MESS

B. DON’T MESS MY MAKE-UP KISSES

C. BE TRANSFORMED BY THE RENEWING OF YOUR MIND Rom 21:2

D. BE COMFORMED TO THE LIKENESS OF HIS SON Rom 8:29

E. A NEW LIFE SUBMITTED TO GOD Rom 12:1

CONCLUSION: Is there someone that God has put in your life to love into the kingdom. Is there someone you have struggled loving them and not their sin? Would that person be you? Whoever it is, Jesus loves them, he forgives, and a new life is possible for them and even for you. Through loving the lost we find that new life, we can live that new life.

Weights in the pool

Watching scuba swim practice one day and the instructor had them treading water over their head. Then he hands them a 20lb weight belt to pass around. As each person gets it they sink to the bottom. The instructor does not commend them for reaching the bottom he teaches them to swim stronger and stay up. We do not love someone by telling them their sin is acceptable, we love them by teaching them a new way to live.

Don’t mess the make-up kiss

That is the party kiss off to the side where the people never really touch. They don’t want to get their make believe face or the other persons make believe face messed up. We are not loving each other when we agree not to mess with each other’s cover-up schemes. We love each other by getting rid of the make-up, the cover-up, and help each other become something new and real.