Straighten Up and Fly Right

1 Thessalonians 1:1-4

1 Paul, and Silvanus, and Timothy, unto the church
of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and
in the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace be unto you, and
peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
2 We give thanks to God always for you all, making
mention of you in our prayers;
3 Remembering without ceasing your work of faith,
and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord
Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;
4 Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God.

Paul is talking about how we can live upright in an upside down world. Thessalonica was a prosperous port town in northern Greece in Pauls time. Paul, in Thessalonica, faced political correctness and false god worship of kabiri, yet it did not stop Paul from preaching the gospel in Thessalonica. When he was preaching a riot broke out. He confronted an upside down world with the gospel of Christ and whenever the upside down world is confronted by Christ there are always fireworks of some sort.

So how do we straighten up and fly right like Paul in an upside down world? Paul gives us three gauges to fly right; work, labor and patience. Gauges on our instrument panel of flying right as Christians.

Work of Faith

Faith cannot work if were still holding on to our idols. We must turn from our idols, repent and turn to the Lord so we may be seen by God as faithful by evidence of our works.

James 2:26

26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so
faith without works is dead also.

Faith is our divine occupation and if we are going to straighten up and fly right we must have works of faith.

Labor of Love

Love is a labor. To love we must commit time and effort. True love always cost us something. There is no such thing as cost-less discipleship. Love cost Jesus His life, at least until He rose again.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity
envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not
puffed up,
5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her
own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the
truth;
7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth
all things, endureth all things.

Patience of Hope

Patience is born out of trials of life. In our trials we may cry, but joy comes after, but we many times must have patience without giving up faith and love before we realize the joy.

Jesus did not meet His potential on earth, but met His purpose. He didn't heal everyone that was sick, He didn't become wealthy or privileged amongst the Pharisees. Jesus was more concerned with meeting His purpose than His potential. Many times as Christians we are striving to meet our potential and we lose patience. What we should be striving for is to find our purpose in Christ with patience of hope.

Luke 12:6-7

6 Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and
not one of them is forgotten before God?
7 But even the very hairs of your head are all
numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value
than many sparrows.

Pay attention to your spiritual gauges; work of faith, labor of love and patience of hope to straighten up and fly right and meet your divine purpose in Christ. Do not put yourself down because you are God's beloved and meant for His purpose for you.

Reference: Pastor Al Pittman
Calvary Worship Center, Colorado Springs, CO
Sermon
3-11-2018

The Grim Reaper Preacher says, "Try reading the Bible from cover to cover - you'll like it."

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