This is a part of a sermon series in the book of 1 Thessalonians. You can watch more here.
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Last Sunday we talked about this language of “excel still more.” We will see that same
phrase in our passage this morning, so that the Apostle Paul uses this language twice in the
span of 9 verses, so that should tell us the call to “excel still more” is something for us to
consider deeply.
We don’t want to wallow in spiritual indifference. We don’t want to embrace the cultural
norms of our day. We don’t want to sit under any undo shame from the language of “excel
still more” but in light of the righteousness we have been freely given in Christ we want to
actively seek spiritual maturity. Amen?
Two weeks ago, the Apostle Paul talked about our daily walk with the Lord, even the sexual
part of our lives, and in our passage this morning he is going to drill into our relationships
with one another. Look at verse 9:
1 Thessalonians 4:9, “9 Now as to the love of the brethren, you have no need for anyone to
write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another”
1 Thessalonians is in the New Testament. 1 Thessalonians is written by the Apostle Paul.
Paul didn’t grow up as a follower of Jesus. Paul’s life was transformed through faith in
Jesus, and Paul was sent out to proclaim the name of Jesus all around the Roman Empire.
Thessalonica is located in modern day Greece. Men and women in Thessalonica come to
faith in Jesus, a new church is started, and Paul wanted to re-visit Thessalonica, but hasn’t
been able to, so he sends a letter to express his encouragement about what Jesus is doing in
them and through them, and at the same time challenge the Thessalonians to “excel still
more.”
This is the ideal experience for every follower of Jesus. None of us are born believing in
Jesus. Every man and woman has to come to faith in Jesus. Every man and women has to
have a moment where we acknowledge our sin is separating us from God, and it is only
Jesus’ life, death and resurrection that can bring reconciliation.
If that hasn’t happened in your life, you need to meet Jesus. I don’t care if you have grown
up going to church your whole life. I don’t care if you know the Bible forward and
backwards. Each of us must come to faith in Jesus. Amen?
In verse 9 we see the Apostle Paul transition to the focus on their relationships with one
another. Do you see it in verse 9? The phrase “love of the brethren” is an encouragement
of their relationships to one another.
In the same way, we want to see patterns in our life of keeping healthy relationships with
one another. As we look at our lives we want to see ourselves committing to a local church
in Austin, getting involved in groups, serving on a ministry team on Sundays, so that we are
moving toward deeper relationships with one another.
In my experience, we all love the idea of having great relationships with one another, but
we underestimate how difficult it is to build great relationships with one another.
In the beginning, connecting to a local church can be really exciting. There is the common
bond of two people expressing faith in Jesus’ life, death and resurrection. It’s incredible.
Two people indwelled with the Holy Spirit. Two people who have an affection for God’s
Word. It’s awesome!
Sometimes we can go to different cultures, broken languages, and meet other followers of
Jesus where we feel a closer connection to them in minutes, and it’s because of our common
faith in Jesus. Have you experienced that? It’s fantastic!
But, then it happens. People being people! If any two people are around one another long
enough there are absolutely going to be opportunities for hurt feelings and offense, so that
sometimes our relational struggles in the local church can feel even more painful than
struggles in everyday life. Have you noticed this?
I compare it to the underside of the turtle, so that in most of life we only show the hard
shell of the turtle to keep ourselves safe, but in the local church in Austin we feel this
connection with one another, so that we expose our underside, and when we hurt one
another it can feel more painful.
I think that is why you see people wrestling with “church hurt” because the local church is
where we can experience the greatest joy with people, and also some of our deepest pain
with people, so that God’s Word is constantly speaking to our “love for the brethren.”
In verse 9, the Apostle Paul is using this language “you have no need for anyone to write to
you” so as to say, “This love for one another isn’t new information.”
The Thessalonian church knows their relationships with one another are important. We
know our relationships with one another are important, but this is an area that is so
challenging, so we need to be reminded to continually invest in our “love for the brethren.”
Look at verse 10:
1 Thessalonians 4:10, “10 for indeed you do practice it toward all the brethren who are in all
Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, to excel still more.”
Now, I don’t know the relational challenges in the Thessalonian church, but we can all
imagine those challenges.
You know those moments when “we’ve made a friend on Sunday morning, we’ve jumped
into a small group together, we shared a meal together, we even sent one another
encouraging texts and prayed for one another throughout the week.” It’s awesome!
Perhaps we both had similar backgrounds? Maybe we “finish each other’s sentences?” But
then it happens. Someone gets their feelings hurt. Someone steps on toes.
Or, maybe there is more direct offense and hurt where someone says or does something
that is really hurtful? What do we do in those moments?
Well, in Western culture the majority of people hate conflict, so when we experience
conflict with one another, which is going to happen as a human being, we do the polite
thing, and we don’t talk about it.
It’s at this point that we stop talking to that person. It’s usually at this point that we start
saying things like, “I feel like the Lord is leading me to a different church!” The elders will
be confused, so we will ask, “Did something happen?”
But we don’t want to talk about conflict, so we say, “No nothing happened, I just feel like
this isn’t the place for me,” because we are so uncomfortable with conflict.
We do this with friends in the church. We do this with our family. There are some of us
who have family members that don’t talk. We do this in marriage, which typically leads to
divorce, and the gospel enters into human history and says, “Yes, this is what they do in the
world, but in Christ, you have been set apart for a different purpose!” Amen?
Remember, our spatula illustration? We imagined going through life trying to scoop soup
into our bowl with a spatula, so that Gods Word isn’t intending to bring unnecessary
shame, and point out how horrible we are, but instead God’s Word is simply opening our
eyes to say, “What if you did it differently? What if you used a ladle to scoop soup?” What if
we could reconcile?
In the same way, what if we handled relationships differently. What if we didn’t cancel and
cut people out of our life, but what if, those in Christ reconcile?
The idea that we can do things to offend one another is 100% going to happen. The
common denominator with people in the local non-denominational church in Austin is that
we have all admitted that we are sinners, and surprise, sinners will do sinful things to one
another, but the gospel makes this radical claim of being able to bring reconciliation.
The gospel isn’t just an inspirational slogan, “We can forgive.” But the gospel is that Jesus
has come to take all of our offenses, past, present and future upon Himself at the cross.
Jesus pays the price. Jesus absorbs the offense. Jesus put the offense to death, and Jesus
conquers our offenses against one another in the resurrection, so that we might be
reconciled! That’s the gospel!
The gospel is that Jesus loved us while we were yet sinners, so that we don’t deserve His
forgiveness because none of us deserve His forgiveness, but while we were dead in our sin,
while we were blind in our sin He chases us down to bring reconciliation! (Pause)
Sometimes I will get to sit down with someone in conflict with someone in the church or a
spouse in marriage and I will ask this question (Insider Trading), “Is there anything you can
take responsibility for in this conflict?”
In every conflict, we are all convinced it’s the other person who caused the conflict, but an
important step towards reconciliation is being able to acknowledge, “I have something to
own in this conflict.”
It’s never a good sign when someone says, “There is nothing for me to own in this conflict.
It is 100% their fault.” Our part in the conflict might only be 1% but an important step
toward reconciliation is being able to acknowledge that 1%, because acknowledging that
1% begins the process of being reminded that we are sinners also, we are in need of
forgiveness, and Jesus is the One who brings that forgiveness. Does that make sense?
Listen to me, church family, this makes a lot of sense right now, but in the heat of conflict it
will take everything in us to not harden our heart and cut people out of our lives.
In the moment it isn’t going to feel right. It isn’t going to feel comfortable. It isn’t going to
feel natural. You’re not going to like me or anyone pointing you to reconciliation, because
in the moment we want justice, and it is the gospel that says, “Look to the cross where His
justice was poured out fully!” Amen?
In the heat of conflict, it is a decision of the will to trust in the Lord. It is sacrificial. It is a
devotional. It is a soothing aroma unto the Lord to reconcile with one another.
This doesn’t mean we need to be best friends with everyone in the local church. This
doesn’t mean we need to share every secret with everyone, but we do want to spiritually
fight for reconciliation, because otherwise we will settle for things like, “Oh, I just don’t talk
to those people on Sunday morning.”
Oh, I just don’t sit on the side of the room with those people on Sunday morning. Oh, I just
don’t get in groups with those people in my church family.” I get it, I know it’s hard, but you
need to know when we settle into that place we are denying the very thing we gather to
worship!
Reconciliation is the hallmark of the gospel. Reconciliation is the characteristic of the
church. It is the call to “excel still more” by faith that the gospel can be worked out in our
lives practically. Amen?
By God’s grace, one of the most common responses we hear from people about our church
in Austin is that people can sense the Spirit of God at work in our midst, and I am convinced
it is because we have been doggedly committed to reconciling with one another. Look at
verses 11-12:
1 Thessalonians 4:11, “11 and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your
own business and work with your hands, just as we commanded you. 12 so that you
will behave properly toward outsiders and not be in any need.”
In the context of the Thessalonians the people were living in a culture that was violently
opposed to the God of Scripture. There are riots and mob in the streets. They are being
dragged out of their homes because of their faith in Jesus, so these are a people on edge.
We all know based on the last 5 years that when we are a people living under stress and
anxiety it is easy to offend one another.
It is easy to turn on one another. It is easy to distance ourselves from one another, which
makes our relationships with one another more important than ever.
In our day today, it is easier to offend one another than ever. It is easier to be offended by
one another than ever, so that when our relationships are strained it is easy to neglect
reconciliation with one another.
Maybe we start showing up late? Maybe we start leaving early? Eventually we stop
showing up on Sunday morning, because the risk of relational hurt is too difficult?
Maybe it is that risk of relational hurt that keeps us from getting involved in a small group
or serving on a ministry team? I get it. My job is to work with a people and as a species I
can tell you, we are a tricky bunch.
But I can also tell you there is a risk of not getting connected to His people, and there is a
risk of not reconciling with His people. It isn’t the risk of being kicked out of His presence.
Once you belong to Jesus, He will never let us go.
But there is a risk of missing out on the joy of deep relationships. There is the risk of
missing out on those supernatural moments in our faith being lived out with others. There
is the risk of missing out on His joy and strength and peace of living in rich community with
His people.
Therefore, the Apostle Paul tries to make it as simple as possible in verse 11, “Make it your
ambition to lead a quiet life.” Isn’t that good? God’s Word is calling us to be ambitious at
being unambitious. What an interesting charge for us in Austin, TX?
Leading a quiet life is enjoying one another, forgiving quickly, extending grace, assuming
other people are wrestling with things and they probably didn’t wake up that morning
thinking of ways to hurt us, so we choose to lead a quiet, simple joyful life with one another.
Isn’t that good?
Wouldn’t that be a great reputation for our church family? Those people at North Village
Church are really simple. It’s one of our values as a church family, “Simple and Sincere
Worshippers.”
We love Jesus, we love others. It’s simple. We’re a small church with a big heart. It’s
simple. We want to accept everyone as they are, and we want to see us all growing in
Christ! It’s simple!
Notice the second phrase, “Attend to your own business.” Was this written in 2025? What
an important charge for us today!
Stop stirring up trouble! Stop slandering one another with “Did you hear?” Stop blasting
one another on social media with “Gotchya statements!” Attend to your own business.
Resist the temptation of gossip.
You want to watch people flee from North Village Church? Start gossiping about one
another. Start being nosey. Start stirring up trouble. It’s devastating for a church family.
Instead, we want to tell one another to, “Run to reconciliation!”
The phrase “work with your hands” is a charge to be on guard against idle hands that drift
toward division and jealousy and arguments and comparison, but instead let us put our
minds and bodies to areas of life that are honoring to the Lord and loving to one another.
Excel still more! What a passage for us this morning!
North Village Church
This sermon is brought to you by North Village Church, a non-denominational church in Austin. established in 2009 and built around Jesus and Bible teaching.
Are you looking for a church in Austin? At North Village Church we put Jesus at the center of our church family. We worship together every Sunday at 10:30am, encourage Christ centered fellowship through groups, and host special events such as Bible studies and Theological Training, to ensure that we are rooted in in God’s Word. We also serve our local community in association with several Austin based organizations.
North Village Church is made up of professionals, married couples, singles, and families who are wanting to experience the life-transforming power of Jesus. If you are a family with children or teens, we can support you with either or both our Kids Ministry and Youth Ministry.
You are welcome to contact us if you would like more information.
NVC Online
Unable to attend this Christian Church in Austin? Don’t worry, because, through God’s provision, we have created NVC online, an Online Church streaming a worship service every Sunday from 10:30am Central Time. You can also watch our short, powerful sermons on demand and follow us on Instagram for daily Christ centered content.