November 27, 2022

Shine For Jesus
Chapter 5:11-14

1 Thessalonians 5:12-22 NIV   Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who
work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you.  13  Hold them in the
highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other.  14  And we urge you,
brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help
the weak, be patient with everyone.  15  Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but
always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else.
16  Rejoice always,  17  pray continually,  18  give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for
you in Christ Jesus.
19  Do not quench the Spirit.  20  Do not treat prophecies with contempt  21  but test them all; hold on to
what is good,  22  reject (avoid) every kind of evil.
Key: “Avoid every kind of evil.”
– To avoid was to refrain or to hold oneself off.
I am convinced that as we live together in purpose and with a kingdom directive, we will do
what is right for each other.
verse 11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.
– That meant not being in fellowship (joint participation/partnership) with them.
– We are not to have a lasting, purposeful relationship with those whose lifestyle depicts
darkness.
The key word in this phrase is, “Fruitless.”
– Being useless as in the sense of being unproductive
– Lacking true wisdom
Q. What is our purpose?
– We are to expose them to the light of God’s grace.
Matthew 7:3-5 NIV “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no
attention to the plank in your own eye?  4  How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck
out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?  5  You hypocrite, first take the
plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s
eye.”
verse 12 It is shameful even to mention (affirm/teach) what the disobedient do in secret.
The believer is admonished to expose the darkness and not just talk about it. .
But those who walk in grace will expose the darkness simply by their commitment to living in
the light of truth.
“Shameful” – “Dishonorable.”
In the confusion, they begin to think that the darkness is right and those who are in the light have
lost their way.
– Light will always uncover the darkness
– Right will counter wrong

– Truth will counter the lie
– Holiness counters unholiness
– Righteousness will counter unrighteousness.
verse 13-14 But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is
illuminated becomes a light.  14  This is why it is said:
“Wake up, sleeper,
    rise from the dead,
    and Christ will shine on you.”
“It is light that opens our eyes to the truth.”
The only way believers are going to counter the godless changes in the world is by allowing the
light of truth to be on display.
When we walk in grace, our life will reflect the light of Christ
The church needs to wake up!
We need to be careful that we haven’t fallen into a dark, spiritual sleep.
Do not lose sight of the truth.
We must walk in such a way that God’s grace is shown to the world.
Our very existence exposes God’s light into the darkness.
By shining the light of truth, people will begin to wake up to the truth of Christ and find his love
reaching out to them.