Rev. Dustin ParkerYou Shall Be Holy!
Come Worship the Lord
– for you Shall be Holy!
Lev. 19:1-2, 1 Thes. 2:1-13
† IN JESUS HOLY NAME †
As you realize you live continually in the presence of a Holy God, that being in His presence results in your being holy and at peace!
The Church’s task…
In the bible reading just after the children sang, there is a phrase that describes well the role of this church,
11 For you know how, like a father with his children, 12 we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory. “
A challenging mission, this idea that we are to exhort each other, and encourage each other, and charge each other to walk in a manner worthy of God. Moses is given the same charge in the first reading, as he is told the people that,
“You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.“
It is as well the two simple commands that Jesus describes as the skeleton of life – to Love God, and to love those whose lives intersect yours. That is our call as Christians, and as a church. To be there, and to exhort and encourage and charge each other to walk holy, in a manner God would not just approve of, but in which He would rejoice!
A truly challenging task!
It is no wonder then, that Paul saw himself as a spiritual parent. For the task of guiding each other to live holy, consecrated lives unto God is as formidable a task as parenting a 3-4 year old. Or for that matter, being parents to adult children, who still think they know how to do it all!
Spiritual Parenting Isn’t Behavior Modification.
If we are going to exhort and encourage and charge each other to live life in a manner worthy of God, we have to grasp what that holiness is, and isn’t.
Too many people “out there” see church as a form of behavior modification. That Christians just want everyone to behave within an acceptable pattern, for everyone to “behave”. There is more to parenting that creating robots, and yet we struggle with the behaviors exhibited by our young children, and by our adult children, and if we are honest, those behaviors we exhibit.
Haven’t you ever asked your child, “don’t you know better?” The answer is yes! And the follow up question, “then why did you” is met with a shrug. Or are Kay and I the only two parents since Adam and Eve, well and my parents, to ask that question of your children?
There is more to parenting than programming our children. Yes – they need to be disciplined and educated about the difference between right and wrong, but there is more.
It is much the same for “spiritual parenting” as Paul saw his role with the church in Thessalonica, as scripture tells us is our role towards each other.
So ‘s look at the how Paul assisted them in living lives in a manner worthy of Christ Jesus.
Paul’s tactics
Paul indicated that he did three things – things that one would do, who knows God’s love, and returns it in by reflecting that love to those whose lives intersect theirs. Things that God as well in Christ, and continues to do through us.
Exhort, Encourage, Charge.
We don’t use exhort all that much anymore, and to be honest, I am not sure it creates the same picture that the original Greek term paraklesis does. It is often translated as to bring comfort or support, and it is well pictured in the parable of the good Samaritan. Simply put it means to realize a call to come alongside someone else, to help them in their distress, to render physical, spiritual, psychological aid or comfort.
As the Thessalonians dealt with the evil in their time, as they struggled, this kind of support was what Paul would bring them. Much as the parent who hears their child cry out in the night wakes and goes to them, so Paul would bring hope to people for whom hope seemed distant. Using God’s word to show them the powerof God’s love to bring healing to lives that are challenged and broken by guilt and shame, or resentment and anger, Paul will observe their freedom and joy, and how news of it spread throughout the region.
The second word encourage is another word that bespeaks of the love and care of a parent. It’s greek original means to speak toward – to come close and address the issue, not to bully, but rather to help determine how to overcome those obstacles in our lives. As children learn to ride bikes, or write their name, or as twenty-somethings struggle to learn how to deal with finances and relationships, a parent offers advice that speaks to the situation, and helps them realize that we learned from the school of hard knocks… and when those knocks come, we are there to help them learn from them!. We speak to each other forthrightly, but in love, helping each other overcome the obstacles of life often obstacles we ourselves have created.
The third word sounds… well oppressive!. To charge someone sounds like we are less spiritual parents, and more like spiritual police, wagging our finger at others when they do something wrong. There is a different nature to the word, it comes from the word for testify, to be a martyr. Like the “you shall be Holy”, the word describes what shall occur, it is not a command, as much as describing the reality that will exist because of outside influences.
To charge them is to tell them how it will be, because of what has been already occurring in there life… For example – one could testify to their children that they will begin first grade around the age of six, or that they will get certain consequences or rewards for certain actions – the result of their behavior is not within doubt – and often, neither is the action!
So Paul, to these people struggling to make sense of life, to make it work takes certain actions – he comes to lift them up, to speak to them words that will help them overcome, and testifies of what they will become, because of the gospel.
It is the same role that we as those who trust in God have in common, and indeed, our role in this community.
So how shall we be holy?
So we know the how God uses people like Paul, people like each of us to assist others in being holy, but how does one become holy? How does someone live life in a manner that is worthy of being
We see the ultimate answer – what the gospel is, of how we become holy in the last verses of the reading…starting at the end of verse 12,
walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.
As we see Paul point out that believers shall be holy, that they shall walk in a manner worthy of God, we pick up this other point – the definition of who this God is…
The one who calls us into His own Kingdom, and into His glory.
The God who invites us to share eternity with Him as His people. That word calls is related to the word exhorts – same root – He calls us alongside Him, to share in a relationship that doesn’t require us to be holy, but indeed makes us holy, for it is His presence, His love that does this. As we talk about at Noah’s baptism a little later, it is God cutting out our hardened, bruised hearts and giving us life, and giving us His spirit to live with us, in us.
It results in a different focus of our lives, one which sees the importance of loving God and our neighbors, because that is how we were created to live, and realizes that God is working in us, through His word, to work out that very thing. See verse 13.
13 And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.
Which is at work in you believers, you – those who trust in God for showing us the love He did in Christ dieing on the cross – to deliver us from all of our sin, to deliver us to the Kingdom of God – that is how He calls us, through the cross…
Continually strengthening our faith, through the work He does by the word of God which we share…
Through the peace of God we rejoice in, kowing His love sustains and comforts and ccauses in us a life that is holy, and at peace. …
AMEN.
– for you Shall be Holy!
Lev. 19:1-2, 1 Thes. 2:1-13
† IN JESUS HOLY NAME †
As you realize you live continually in the presence of a Holy God, that being in His presence results in your being holy and at peace!
The Church’s task…
In the bible reading just after the children sang, there is a phrase that describes well the role of this church,
11 For you know how, like a father with his children, 12 we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory. “
A challenging mission, this idea that we are to exhort each other, and encourage each other, and charge each other to walk in a manner worthy of God. Moses is given the same charge in the first reading, as he is told the people that,
“You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.“
It is as well the two simple commands that Jesus describes as the skeleton of life – to Love God, and to love those whose lives intersect yours. That is our call as Christians, and as a church. To be there, and to exhort and encourage and charge each other to walk holy, in a manner God would not just approve of, but in which He would rejoice!
A truly challenging task!
It is no wonder then, that Paul saw himself as a spiritual parent. For the task of guiding each other to live holy, consecrated lives unto God is as formidable a task as parenting a 3-4 year old. Or for that matter, being parents to adult children, who still think they know how to do it all!
Spiritual Parenting Isn’t Behavior Modification.
If we are going to exhort and encourage and charge each other to live life in a manner worthy of God, we have to grasp what that holiness is, and isn’t.
Too many people “out there” see church as a form of behavior modification. That Christians just want everyone to behave within an acceptable pattern, for everyone to “behave”. There is more to parenting that creating robots, and yet we struggle with the behaviors exhibited by our young children, and by our adult children, and if we are honest, those behaviors we exhibit.
Haven’t you ever asked your child, “don’t you know better?” The answer is yes! And the follow up question, “then why did you” is met with a shrug. Or are Kay and I the only two parents since Adam and Eve, well and my parents, to ask that question of your children?
There is more to parenting than programming our children. Yes – they need to be disciplined and educated about the difference between right and wrong, but there is more.
It is much the same for “spiritual parenting” as Paul saw his role with the church in Thessalonica, as scripture tells us is our role towards each other.
So ‘s look at the how Paul assisted them in living lives in a manner worthy of Christ Jesus.
Paul’s tactics
Paul indicated that he did three things – things that one would do, who knows God’s love, and returns it in by reflecting that love to those whose lives intersect theirs. Things that God as well in Christ, and continues to do through us.
Exhort, Encourage, Charge.
We don’t use exhort all that much anymore, and to be honest, I am not sure it creates the same picture that the original Greek term paraklesis does. It is often translated as to bring comfort or support, and it is well pictured in the parable of the good Samaritan. Simply put it means to realize a call to come alongside someone else, to help them in their distress, to render physical, spiritual, psychological aid or comfort.
As the Thessalonians dealt with the evil in their time, as they struggled, this kind of support was what Paul would bring them. Much as the parent who hears their child cry out in the night wakes and goes to them, so Paul would bring hope to people for whom hope seemed distant. Using God’s word to show them the powerof God’s love to bring healing to lives that are challenged and broken by guilt and shame, or resentment and anger, Paul will observe their freedom and joy, and how news of it spread throughout the region.
The second word encourage is another word that bespeaks of the love and care of a parent. It’s greek original means to speak toward – to come close and address the issue, not to bully, but rather to help determine how to overcome those obstacles in our lives. As children learn to ride bikes, or write their name, or as twenty-somethings struggle to learn how to deal with finances and relationships, a parent offers advice that speaks to the situation, and helps them realize that we learned from the school of hard knocks… and when those knocks come, we are there to help them learn from them!. We speak to each other forthrightly, but in love, helping each other overcome the obstacles of life often obstacles we ourselves have created.
The third word sounds… well oppressive!. To charge someone sounds like we are less spiritual parents, and more like spiritual police, wagging our finger at others when they do something wrong. There is a different nature to the word, it comes from the word for testify, to be a martyr. Like the “you shall be Holy”, the word describes what shall occur, it is not a command, as much as describing the reality that will exist because of outside influences.
To charge them is to tell them how it will be, because of what has been already occurring in there life… For example – one could testify to their children that they will begin first grade around the age of six, or that they will get certain consequences or rewards for certain actions – the result of their behavior is not within doubt – and often, neither is the action!
So Paul, to these people struggling to make sense of life, to make it work takes certain actions – he comes to lift them up, to speak to them words that will help them overcome, and testifies of what they will become, because of the gospel.
It is the same role that we as those who trust in God have in common, and indeed, our role in this community.
So how shall we be holy?
So we know the how God uses people like Paul, people like each of us to assist others in being holy, but how does one become holy? How does someone live life in a manner that is worthy of being
We see the ultimate answer – what the gospel is, of how we become holy in the last verses of the reading…starting at the end of verse 12,
walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.
As we see Paul point out that believers shall be holy, that they shall walk in a manner worthy of God, we pick up this other point – the definition of who this God is…
The one who calls us into His own Kingdom, and into His glory.
The God who invites us to share eternity with Him as His people. That word calls is related to the word exhorts – same root – He calls us alongside Him, to share in a relationship that doesn’t require us to be holy, but indeed makes us holy, for it is His presence, His love that does this. As we talk about at Noah’s baptism a little later, it is God cutting out our hardened, bruised hearts and giving us life, and giving us His spirit to live with us, in us.
It results in a different focus of our lives, one which sees the importance of loving God and our neighbors, because that is how we were created to live, and realizes that God is working in us, through His word, to work out that very thing. See verse 13.
13 And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.
Which is at work in you believers, you – those who trust in God for showing us the love He did in Christ dieing on the cross – to deliver us from all of our sin, to deliver us to the Kingdom of God – that is how He calls us, through the cross…
Continually strengthening our faith, through the work He does by the word of God which we share…
Through the peace of God we rejoice in, kowing His love sustains and comforts and ccauses in us a life that is holy, and at peace. …
AMEN.
