David Bahn – Reflections

David Bahn-Reflections Podcast

Now concerning how and when all this will happen, dear brothers and sisters, we don’t really need to write you. ² For you know quite well that the day of the Lord’s return will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night. ³ When people are saying, “Everything is peaceful and secure,” then disaster will fall on them as suddenly as a pregnant woman’s labor pains begin. And there will be no escape.

⁴ But you aren’t in the dark about these things, dear brothers and sisters, and you won’t be surprised when the day of the Lord comes like a thief. ⁵ For you are all children of the light and of the day; we don’t belong to darkness and night. ⁶ So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded. ⁷ Night is the time when people sleep and drinkers get drunk. ⁸ But let us who live in the light be clearheaded, protected by the armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation.

⁹ For God chose to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour out his anger on us. ¹⁰ Christ died for us so that, whether we are dead or alive when he returns, we can live with him forever. ¹¹ So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.

– 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 [NLT]

Diane and I have been talking about our backyard. We both want to improve the landscaping. Maybe  we’ll move our fountain, plant a tree, and move some things off our patio into a storage shed. As we were talking about these things, I had a sudden inspiration: “Begin with the end in mind!” I said this with a triumphant tone, proud of myself that I had remembered this sage advice for leaders and planners. Where do you want to go? What do you want to accomplish? How will it look if you succeed? Begin with the answers to those questions in mind.

Take that thought to an even higher level; higher as in thinking in heavenly terms. This is the opening thought here as Paul brings this first letter to the Thessalonians to a close. He has had this in mind the whole time he is writing to them. They apparently had some confusion and concerns about Jesus’ Second Coming. Paul has addressed those fears and concerns. Now he will point them toward living faithfully until that time…with The End in mind. And we’re in the same place now.

He reminds us all that The End will come unexpectedly. “When people are saying, ‘Everything is peaceful and secure,’” he writes The End will come. It will also be at those times people are crying out, “How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?” (Psalm 13:1). It will be in the middle of a prayer, or perhaps, even in the middle of a sentence we wish we had not spoken. It will be completely unexpected. Unplanned for. Unannounced. Uninvited by many. Welcomed gladly by some who have been crying, “Come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20). 

Then Paul says we who are in the know about these things will not be surprised. I’m thinking we may well be startled at The End. We may even be a bit overwhelmed. But we should not be surprised. People throughout the centuries since Jesus’ death and resurrection have been expecting his return, The End. People have expressed great distress about the way things are going in the world during the time of the Early Church, during the Spanish Inquisition, the reign of Stalin, and Hitler and others. World events are constantly pointing toward The End. The End is coming, we say.

But it hasn’t yet come…or at least it hasn’t come if you are in fact reading this now. Paul has just laid out the calling to love sincerely, speak truthfully, and serve faithfully. Now he says, say awake the whole while. Don’t go to sleep at the wheel. The End will come. We wait for it not in a sad attitude of fatalism, but wide awake with anticipation and hope. We wait for it anticipating a glorious day when we will be with Jesus forever. Come, Lord Jesus!

Join me in praying these Psalms on this Lord’s Day

Psalm 2:10-12

Now therefore, O kings, be wise;
    be warned, O rulers of the earth.
¹¹ Serve the Lord with fear,
    and rejoice with trembling.
¹² Kiss the Son,
    lest he be angry, and you perish in the way,
    for his wrath is quickly kindled.
Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

Psalm 32:1-5

Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven,
    whose sin is covered.
² Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity,
    and in whose spirit there is no deceit.

³ For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away
    through my groaning all day long.
⁴ For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;
    my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah

⁵ I acknowledged my sin to you,
    and I did not cover my iniquity;
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”
    and you forgave the iniquity of my sin.

Psalm 62:1-2

For God alone my soul waits in silence;
    from him comes my salvation.
² He alone is my rock and my salvation,
    my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken.

Psalm 92:1-4

It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
    to sing praises to your name, O Most High;
² to declare your steadfast love in the morning,
    and your faithfulness by night,
³ to the music of the lute and the harp,
    to the melody of the lyre.
⁴ For you, O Lord, have made me glad by your work;
    at the works of your hands I sing for joy.

Psalm 122

I was glad when they said to me,
    “Let us go to the house of the Lord!”
² Our feet have been standing
    within your gates, O Jerusalem!

³ Jerusalem—built as a city
    that is bound firmly together,
⁴ to which the tribes go up,
    the tribes of the Lord,
as was decreed for Israel,
    to give thanks to the name of the Lord.
⁵ There thrones for judgment were set,
    the thrones of the house of David.

⁶ Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!
    “May they be secure who love you!
⁷ Peace be within your walls
    and security within your towers!”
⁸ For my brothers and companions’ sake
    I will say, “Peace be within you!”
⁹ For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,
    I will seek your good.

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®)
Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission.
All rights reserved

David Bahn-Reflections Podcast

But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. ¹⁴ For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁵ For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁶ For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷ Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. ¹⁸ Therefore encourage one another with these words.– 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 [ESV]

Maybe you’ve seen the bumper sticker, “Jesus is coming back, and boy is he mad!” You really couldn’t blame Jesus if he is mad, angry, frustrated, and put out with us all. The world is spinning out of control under our watch. Here we are to have dominion over the birds of the air, the fish of the sea, the livestock and everything that moves along the face of the earth. And look at it. I don’t subscribe to the idea that every weather upheaval, polar icecap melting, climate change issue is man’s fault. But I do wonder if we’re being the caretakers we’re supposed to be. When you have islands of discarded plastic floating in the ocean, toxic waste belched into the air, and rain forest denuding in the scale we see today: we are doing that. I’m convinced that’s not a good thing.

Then look at how marriages are sabotaged, children are forgotten or worse, women are trafficked, and immorality and indecency of every kind is celebrated in our streets. Lord, have mercy!

But Jesus isn’t mad. At least there is little Scriptural witness to such anger. Yes, he did overturn the tables of the money changers in Jerusalem – twice, no less! But that’s not the greatest witness of Jesus’ demeanor. Look at him with the children. See him bless the woman who dared to touch the hem of his garment. Listen to him speak to the woman caught in adultery. Jesus is gracious. He was, during his life on earth, the epitome of humility and servanthood.

But one day he will return, with all his angels. The “cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God” signals his return in victory over all the forces of evil. Immorality will see it’s sad, sad end. Slavery of every kind will be abolished. Forgotten and ill-treated will be restored. Those who suffer will be comforted. Those who have held true to the faith will be vindicated. The dead will be raised. We, too, will be caught up into the clouds. We will all be with Jesus in eternal joy, praise, glory, celebration, and delight. 

No, Jesus isn’t mad. He’s interceding for us before the Father’s throne. He is awaiting that glorious day when the new heaven and the new earth will be revealed and, truly…all will be right with the world. Come, Lord Jesus, return in triumphant splendor! Amen.

David Bahn-Reflections Podcast

But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. ¹⁴ For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁵ For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁶ For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷ Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. ¹⁸ Therefore encourage one another with these words.– 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 [ESV]

Do you recognize the difference between saying, “I think…” and saying, “I believe…”? I certainly do. When I say I think something is true, I’m expressing an opinion. It may or may not impact my behavior or decisions. It may also be a generic hope…I think I’ll go outside and take a walk. But when I say I believe something, it impacts what I do. “I believe Jesus is the Son of God” is a much more significant statement than “I think it’s going to rain today.” Belief implies gravitas, faith, and conviction. Thinking is more speculative.

Paul brings a word of encouragement to the people in Thessalonica based on their shared belief that Jesus died and rose again. There are major implications behind this assertion of belief. Think of it: Jesus died. That means that God has acted in remarkable gracious, merciful and sacrificial ways for the sake of lost and condemned creatures. Jesus, the Son of God, died. He took our sins upon himself and suffered the consequences and wages of sin: death. He did that because he loved his Heavenly Father, and because he loved us. I believe this. Thanks be to God!

But I also believe that Jesus is no longer dead. This is a remarkable truth! God vindicated him by raising him from the dead. We will be vindicated in our belief in Jesus when we stand before God on Judgment Day. As a friend of mine likes to say, “The tomb is empty!” Whatever troubles, challenges, disappointments, pains, hardships, or torment we may face, they fade in the light of Jesus’ resurrection and the promises attached to that.

This is at least part of what Paul is saying here. Jesus isn’t only vindicated by his resurrection. He is not only shown and proven to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the grave (cf. Romans 1:4). He has promised, “Because I live, you too will live” (John 14:19). Because he died for our sins, and was raised for our justification (cf. Romans 4:24-25), we find comfort in Jesus’ resurrection and hope for our own, and for those who have gone onto be with him.

It seems the people in Thessalonica held unfounded fears that their loved ones who had died in the faith no longer had hope for Jesus’ salvation. Perhaps they thought Jesus was going to return before they died. Not to worry; whenever he returns those who are his will be with him forever.

We may face fears as well. Who gets in? How will I survive the Last Day if I’m still alive? How will I die? How will I make it through this valley of the shadow of death that I’m walking because of the loss of my spouse? How will I ever be forgiven for succumbing to temptation? These are all real fears. But Jesus has promised to be with us through them all. He died for our sins. He was raised for our justification. And because we believe we can take hope and comfort in being with him now and forever, and with our loved ones who have died in the faith when Jesus returns on the Great Last Day.

David Bahn-Reflections Podcast

But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. ¹⁴ For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁵ For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁶ For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷ Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. ¹⁸ Therefore encourage one another with these words.– 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 [ESV]

I will lead devotions for the Texas District pastors conference in October. The theme of the conference is “Respond, Recover and Rebuild,” and is intended to help pastors deal with post-covid realities and challenges. My devotion will be titled, “Truth Be Told.” I’ll use the Matthew West song [see below] by that title as part of our time of self-reflection, confession of sins and sharing the forgiveness of Christ.

Several widows were present at the funeral last Saturday for a long-time member and leader of our church. Speaking with them they each expressed continuing sadness and grief some months and even years after their husbands had died. There are empty places in their hearts where their husbands had been. Grief is not a once-and-done experience.

Sometimes well-meaning Christians want to minimize the sense of loss and grief by saying how much better off their loved-one is because he is in no more pain. Their struggles are over. He is with Jesus. The dying is ended. All this is true, but it’s only half of the story. And Christians need to tell the truth about that other half.

The truth that needs to be told in regard to death and grief is that it is real, painful, and draining. To some extent it is the price of love. We miss the loved-one who has died. There is a hole in our hearts and in his favorite chair. So it is good and right that we should grieve. It’s just that we don’t grieve as others do who have no hope. For we have hope that one day we will be reunited with our loved ones with Jesus. We and all the saints of God will be together in a place where every tear will be wiped away. We will enjoy a rest that has no end and is fully refreshing.

Truth be told: death hurts. Truth be told: death does not have the final say. Truth be told, we’ll likely need to relearn this again and again until we are with Jesus and all the saints. Truth be told: “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted,” says Jesus (Matthew 5:4). Truth be told, Jesus will never break that promise.

David Bahn-Reflections Podcast

But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. ¹⁴ For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁵ For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁶ For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷ Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. ¹⁸ Therefore encourage one another with these words.– 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 [ESV]

There was a funeral last Saturday. Actually, there were hundreds of funerals last Saturday. People are dying every day. According to those who keep records of such things, there are as many as 2500 or as few as 1000 funerals each day in the US.  People gather for funeral services every day. This one was special to me because it was for a church leader, a pillar of his family, and a friend of mine. Charlie had attained the age of 90 years, 6 months, and 27 days. He now rests in peace in anticipation of the Great Last Day when he and all believers in Christ will be raised, and we will be together with Jesus. This is our Christian hope.

Two days ago I remembered my mom who died at the age of 93. Two of my sisters and my dad have also gone on to be with Jesus. Diane’s parents, other good friends and loved-ones have also died. It’s a wake-up call to read the names each year of those who have gone on to be with the Lord. But it is so encouraging and uplifting to sing, “For All The Saints,” celebrating their unending hymn of praise and anticipating that one day we will join them, and “we will always be with the Lord.’ 

Paul urges us to comfort one another with these words. Sometimes we may wonder whether or not we will make it into the presence of God almighty. We may carry great loads of guilt over past sins. We may struggle against formidable temptations as we seek to live faithfully under Christ in his kingdom. We may wonder whether we’re worthy of joining all the saints.

Recently a friend forwarded a link to a sermon clip by Alistair Begg. It’s a real winner. It’s a clever portrayal of a supposed interview between the angels in heaven and the thief on the cross. They are questioning him about how it was that he would come to be with them in heaven. After some questioning the thief finally says, “The man on the middle cross said I could come.” Jesus has said we can all come through faith in him. That’s our entry into the glory of all the saints. We’re all there on the basis of his righteousness, not our own. We will be with the Lord forever.

David Bahn-Reflections Podcast

But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. ¹⁴ For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁵ For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁶ For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷ Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. ¹⁸ Therefore encourage one another with these words.– 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 [ESV]

“I can only imagine…” So goes the song by MercyMe. “…What it will be like When I walk by Your side…” There are some great thoughts there:

Surrounded by Your glory
What will my heart feel?
Will I dance for You Jesus
Or in awe of You be still?
Will I stand in Your presence
Or to my knees, will I fall?
Will I sing hallelujah?
Will I be able to speak at all?
I can only imagine
I can only imagine

I Can Only Imagine, by MercyMe

There will come a time when we will not need to imagine. Paul speaks of that here. He does so to allay a fear regarding how things are going to go on that Great Last Day when imagination turns to reality. Jesus will come again. The dead will be raised. We who remain will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord.

A simple understanding of these turns of events is certainly best. Just taking it at face value rather than trying to wrap our minds around how all this will happen is certainly the way of childlike faith. But as I think about these events, so many things come to mind that I truly don’t understand. Better yet, things come to mind that I cannot comprehend. How will this work?

This explanation of events is meant to comfort us. But the balm of comfort seems to be placed on an area of concern I don’t recognize as being in need of it. I’m not worried that those who have fallen asleep will be forgotten or left behind. The Second Coming of Christ will be a cataclysmic event. There will be unimaginable upheaval, distress, and disruption. And the thought that the dead in Christ will be raised first, then we who believe will join them in the clouds is not really comforting to me. It’s a non-issue.

Most days I’m quite content with enjoying the beauty of creation, the pleasant places in my life, and the challenges of day to day living. I don’t have much anxiety about the dead in Christ – those who sleep. I believe they rest in peace, and on that Great Last Day they will be raised to life. Whether they precede me or follow me into the presence of Jesus in the clouds is of little concern to me.

The comfort I find here is that Jesus will return on that Great Last Day. Those who sleep will be raised. We will join them. And we are not to be uninformed in all of this. We don’t have to live in darkness and confusion about all this.

We don’t live with the same sense of the imminent return of Jesus. It’s been so long now, many of us can’t imagine it being that close. This afternoon at 3:24? Next Friday at 1:00 AM? Whenever it will be I want to be ready. I take comfort that I don’t need to imagine it all. I just need to believe in Jesus. And I do.

Join me in praying these Psalms on this Lord’s Day

Psalm 25:4-7

Make me to know your ways, O LORD;
teach me your paths.
Lead me in your truth and teach me,
for you are the God of my salvation;
for you I wait all the day long.
Remember your mercy, O LORD, and your steadfast love,
for they have been from of old.
Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions;
according to your steadfast love remember me,
for the sake of your goodness, O LORD!

Psalm 55:22

Cast your burden on the LORD,
and he will sustain you;
he will never permit
the righteous to be moved.

Psalm 85:8-12

Let me hear what God the LORD will speak,
for he will speak peace to his people, to his saints;
but let them not turn back to folly.
Surely his salvation is near to those who fear him,
that glory may dwell in our land.
Steadfast love and faithfulness meet;
righteousness and peace kiss each other.
Faithfulness springs up from the ground,
and righteousness looks down from the sky.
Yes, the LORD will give what is good,
and our land will yield its increase.

Psalm 115:11

You who fear the LORD, trust in the LORD!
He is their help and their shield.

Psalm 145

I will extol you, my God and King,
and bless your name forever and ever.
Every day I will bless you
and praise your name forever and ever.
Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised,
and his greatness is unsearchable.
One generation shall commend your works to another,
and shall declare your mighty acts.
On the glorious splendor of your majesty,
and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.
They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds,
and I will declare your greatness.
They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness
and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.
The LORD is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
The LORD is good to all,
and his mercy is over all that he has made.
All your works shall give thanks to you, O LORD,
and all your saints shall bless you!
They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom
and tell of your power,
to make known to the children of man your mighty deeds,
and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and your dominion endures throughout all generations.
[The LORD is faithful in all his words
and kind in all his works.]
The LORD upholds all who are falling
and raises up all who are bowed down.
The eyes of all look to you,
and you give them their food in due season.
You open your hand;
you satisfy the desire of every living thing.
The LORD is righteous in all his ways
and kind in all his works.
The LORD is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.
He fulfills the desire of those who fear him;
he also hears their cry and saves them.
The LORD preserves all who love him,
but all the wicked he will destroy.
My mouth will speak the praise of the LORD,
and let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®)
Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission.
All rights reserved

David Bahn-Reflections Podcast

 Finally, dear brothers and sisters, we urge you in the name of the Lord Jesus to live in a way that pleases God, as we have taught you. You live this way already, and we encourage you to do so even more. ² For you remember what we taught you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.

³ God’s will is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin. ⁴ Then each of you will control his own body and live in holiness and honor— ⁵ not in lustful passion like the pagans who do not know God and his ways. ⁶ Never harm or cheat a fellow believer in this matter by violating his wife, for the Lord avenges all such sins, as we have solemnly warned you before. ⁷ God has called us to live holy lives, not impure lives. ⁸ Therefore, anyone who refuses to live by these rules is not disobeying human teaching but is rejecting God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.

⁹ But we don’t need to write to you about the importance of loving each other, for God himself has taught you to love one another. ¹⁰ Indeed, you already show your love for all the believers throughout Macedonia. Even so, dear brothers and sisters, we urge you to love them even more.

¹¹ Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we instructed you before. ¹² Then people who are not believers will respect the way you live, and you will not need to depend on others. – 1 Thessalonians 4:1-13 [NLT]

From The World and Everything In It podcast:

Since 2014, Ligonier Ministries and LifeWay Research have conducted a biennial survey to gauge American belief—both inside and outside the church. The 35 questions measure what we think about God, salvation, ethics, and the Bible. 

…one significant area is US adults and their view of the Bible. One of our statements is, “the Bible, like all sacred writings, contains helpful accounts of ancient myths, but is not literally true.” Back in 2014, when we started the survey, 41 percent of US adults agreed with that statement—that the Bible is not literally true. …fast forward…to eight years later,… [now] 53 percent of US adults do not agree that the Bible is true. And in fact, say the Bible is not true.

The authority of the Bible is certainly important. For without the Bible, we are left to human inclinations, ponderings, and opinions. And these all change with the waves and winds of popular thinking. And don’t try to postulate any moral, ethical, or spiritual truth: Truth has become a subjective prospect of choosing that which seems right to us in the moment.

Paul reminds us to place our personal perspectives and preferences beneath God’s truth. We must remember that God has a better idea of what is good or evil, true or false. And Paul urges the Thessalonians to live in a way that pleases God, in the name of Jesus Christ.

That means a whole lot more than tacking the phrase, “In Jesus’ name,” onto a teaching or admonition. It means we are to hear these words as if Jesus himself were speaking them. He has a clear message for us if we are to please God. He affirms the Great Commandment and it’s essential application: Love God above all, and love your neighbor as yourself (cf. Mark 12:28-31). Jesus, himself – according to the Bible – spoke these words. They come from him who is truth incarnate.

Jesus calls us to abstain from sexual immorality, love one another near and far, and to live quiet, respectful, and productive lives. Such lives would stand out against the ways of the world in Paul’s day. They would make us stand out today as well. Jesus has saved us so that we can stand out, and by such a life gain a hearing by others.

What might we tell them? That God is love. That he has saved us. That he wants us to live in love toward him and one another. And that an eternity of joy awaits those who put their faith in him. So says Jesus, the Son of God and Savior of the world. His word is gold.

David Bahn-Reflections Podcast

 Finally, dear brothers and sisters, we urge you in the name of the Lord Jesus to live in a way that pleases God, as we have taught you. You live this way already, and we encourage you to do so even more. ² For you remember what we taught you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.

³ God’s will is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin. ⁴ Then each of you will control his own body and live in holiness and honor— ⁵ not in lustful passion like the pagans who do not know God and his ways. ⁶ Never harm or cheat a fellow believer in this matter by violating his wife, for the Lord avenges all such sins, as we have solemnly warned you before. ⁷ God has called us to live holy lives, not impure lives. ⁸ Therefore, anyone who refuses to live by these rules is not disobeying human teaching but is rejecting God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.

⁹ But we don’t need to write to you about the importance of loving each other, for God himself has taught you to love one another. ¹⁰ Indeed, you already show your love for all the believers throughout Macedonia. Even so, dear brothers and sisters, we urge you to love them even more.

¹¹ Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we instructed you before. ¹² Then people who are not believers will respect the way you live, and you will not need to depend on others. – 1 Thessalonians 4:1-13 [NLT]

I’ve never climbed even a 14-er; much less Mount Kilimanjaro. I’ve never hiked more than 5 miles, much less the Appalachian Trail. I’ve not run more than 4 miles at a time (though you would never call it running if you saw me doing it!); much less a marathon. But I’ve taken walks with my wife. I’ve done a 5 K Turkey Trot. We had a great walk on the beach the other day. And we’re regulars at our local gym – three days a week.

You don’t have to run a marathon to be physically active. You don’t have to climb a 14-er to enjoy the view from a mountaintop.

Sometimes we may think we have to be super-Christians in order truly to follow God. It’s like we think following Jesus means we have to pack our bags to go to Africa. Or we must become a pastor or full-time church worker if we’re truly to follow Jesus. We imagine that to be truly committed we must do extraordinary things. But that’s not the true call of God.

Paul boils it down to a very simple lifestyle. “Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands,” he urges. The world needs people who live godly lives in everyday ways. No ruckus-making. No nose-poking. No idle hands. It sounds like a call to make the world a better place to live.

Being a good neighbor. Doing a good job at your workplace. Helping life go well for the people of your community. Quiet and peaceful lives honor God. 

But the reason for this is not only so that life goes well for the people in your world. It’s not just so that your neighbors, friends, and family are happy with you. We live like this so that we have a good reputation. And through that we may have the opportunity to give witness to God’s work in our lives.

Our lives as followers of Jesus is to be different, but not merely otherworldly. We are to be good citizens. We are to add value to our neighborhoods. We are to bless our friends. We are to attach our hearts to the hope of the life of the world to come. But this is not to be at the expense of living life fully engaged in this world.

It doesn’t have to be heroic. But we are called to be faithful in common ordinary ways…to the praise of God and the blessing of our neighbor, and in anticipation of being able to give witness to God’s love for us and for all people in Jesus.