What does God expect of a church? Wrapping up 1 Thessalonians, Rev. Jeffrey Rickman preaches through Paul's closing instructions in 5:12–28: honor those who lead, warn the idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone, never pay back wrong for wrong, rejoice, pray, give thanks, and hold to what is good. It reads like a laundry list, but it is what love looks like in practice — and the God who calls us is faithful and will do it.
Preached October 18, 2026 at First Methodist Church of Yazoo City.
0:00 Waking up
6:03 The reading: 1 Thessalonians 5:12-28
9:54 Honor those who lead (vv. 12-13)
16:17 Warn, encourage, help, be patient (v. 14)
27:07 Don't pay back wrong for wrong (v. 15)
33:07 Rejoice, pray, give thanks; test everything (vv. 16-22)
38:34 Sanctified through and through (vv. 23-24)
40:19 A holy kiss, and a letter read to all (vv. 25-28)
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