1 Thessalonians 5:12-28 “12 We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, 13 and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among

yourselves. 14 And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. 15 See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to

everyone. 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise prophecies, 21 but test

everything; hold fast what is good. 22 Abstain from every form of evil. 23 Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus

Christ. 24 He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it. 25 Brothers, pray for us. 26 Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss. 27 I put you under oath before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers.

28 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:12-28

1 Corinthians 6:19, 20, “19 “…you are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”

Mark 3:32-35 “32 And a crowd was sitting around him, and they said to him, "Your mother and your brothers are outside, seeking you." 33 And he answered them, "Who are my mother and my brothers?" 34 And

looking about at those who sat around him, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers! 35 Whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.”

Do you believe God is able to do THROUGH US, FAR MORE than we could ever ask or IMAGINE?

Ephesians 3:14-21 “14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 16 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with

power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the

breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we

ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” Ephesians 3:14-21

“brothers”

1 Peter 3:8 “8 And finally, being all of one mind, having fellow-feeling, loving as brethren, compassionate, courteous,” YLT

Galatians 6:10 “So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.” “...the family of believers”

Hebrews 2:11 “we are of the same family...” 1 Peter 4:17 “the family of God...”

 SOME WARNINGS TO THE FAMILY Family responsibilities

1 Thessalonians 5:12-28 “12 We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, 13 and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves.

14 And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all.”

For a family to function and function well, it MUST WORK AS A FAMILY.

Within a family there are many things to be done, and those things must be shared. someone’s job to: cut the grass wash the car clean the bathrooms

pay the bills empty trash cans buy the groceries sweep the floor take out the trash vacuum the floor do the dishes wash the clothes,...etc.

In our text Paul talks about the responsibilities of:

the leaders within the Church family.

In our text Paul talks about the responsibilities of: the leaders within the Church family. the members of the family

One of the responsibilities of the family leaders is to correct behavior.

Wrong behavior effects all the members of the family….

One of the responsibilities of the family leaders is to correct behavior. Wrong behavior effects all the members of the family…. …and our relationship with God.

 be at peace among yourselves  we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle  encourage the fainthearted  help the weak  be patient with them all

 see that no one repays anyone evil for evil  always seek to do good to one another and to everyone  rejoice always  pray without ceasing

Paul’s final words of the letter: “okay, …here are the rules for all the members of the family;.... here are the ways you are to be and to act. If you guys do this, then the church family will run smoothly....”

Are you part of the family?

Ephesians 4:17-24 “17 Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. 18 They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the

ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. 19 They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. 20 But that is not the way you learned Christ!— 21 assuming

that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, 22 to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your

minds, 24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.”

Are you a part of God’s family? Are you part of God’s family, but you give in to the desires of the flesh?

1 John 3:1-3 “1 See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Beloved, we are

God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 3 And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.”