Well, this week we wrap up our summer series on the One Another commands of the New Testament with 1 Thessalonians 5:11-18 and the command to “Build Up One Another.”  In many ways, this is the summary passage for all the rest of these commands.  They should all have the effect of building up the church.

Have you ever heard someone say that “Christianity is not a list of rules”?  Of course, that’s true — the Bible can’t be reduced to a list of do’s and don’ts.  But that doesn’t mean that there aren’t any do’s and don’t in the Bible.  Actually, there’s a lot of them, though we usually call them commands.

And that’s what we get in this passage.  The Apostle Paul is going to give us a list of eight to ten do’s and don’ts for the Christian life, all with the intent of building up the church as a whole, by building up the people of the church individually. 

So we’re going to talk about those this Sunday and see how they serve, not as a burden to be placed on us, but as a serious encouragement for each one of us, because Paul ends this passage with “for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”  You want to know what God’s Will is for your life?  Then come this Sunday and find out.  See you then, Dr. Dave