Sermons: Soapboxes or TED Talks?

1 Thessalonians 5.12-28

Paul concludes 1 Thessalonians with a series of exhortations. Some of these might seem random or disconnected, so we will expand on them over the course of two or three sermons. This week's sermon will focus on the importance of sermons. Why do we devote so much of our worship service to sermons? Especially in our current context where any talk that goes longer than 10 minutes can be a struggle and where there is such a plurality of opinions, sermons might seem archaic and narrow-minded.

In this passage, we learn two things about the preaching of the gospel. First, it is intended to "admonish" (v. 12). The Greek word means that it should rebuke, warn, advise, chastise, or put in mind, but it is in the context of love and for the welfare of the other person (e.g., 1 Cor 4.14). We must ask ourselves, how have we been rebuked, warned, advised, chastised, or had certain things put in our mind as we think about this sermon series? In what ways has it been correcting or reorienting the way that we think and live? And through this, are we interpreting this as an expression of God's love for us?

The other aspect of the preaching of the Word is the urgency of it (v. 27). Paul makes them swear that they read the letter because it represents the Word of God and not just the opinions of Paul (2.13; 4.8). Moreover, without the Word of God, we would be utterly lost: we would have a very vague understanding on what the gospel is, the specifics of God’s character and how he is involved in our lives, and how to interpret the chaos in this world. Do we regard the preaching of the Word as God's voice or just the opinions of some human? In what ways have we heard the voice of God, especially during this sermon series?

As we can see, sermons are important because they have been mandated by God himself and they represent the most important way in which he lovingly communicates to us. This is why Paul tells the Thessalonians to respect those who are responsible for the preaching of the Word (v. 12). These are the ones who labor (i.e., to tire oneself or to grow weary). In the immediate context, Paul is thinking of the pastors and teachers of a local church community. But here, I want to shift our attention ultimately to Jesus Christ. He is the one who has truly tired himself so that he can teach us the Word. When his disciples were exhausted, Jesus is the one who persisted in teaching the masses. Jesus expended his own blood, sweat, and tears in order to deliver us the true Word.

Questions:

1. Based on this passage, what are the two reasons why sermons are so important?

2. What should be our mindset when we hear the preaching of the Word? What are some ways that we can foster this mindset especially in our context where it is easy to be distracted during our worship services?

3. Paul points to our need to be admonished by the preaching of the Word. Based on the definition above, what are some ways that we have been admonished and loved by God through the preaching of the Word, especially during this series on 1 Thessalonians?

4. Because of the importance of the preaching of the Word, Paul urges the Thessalonians to respect those who are responsible for this. They are the ones who labor (i.e., to tire oneself and to be weary). As mentioned above, Jesus is the one who has labored in this way for us. How does this deepen your appreciation for the ways that Jesus worked and is currently working in your life?