To begin this lesson, let’s think of principles and beliefs that we have incorporated into our lifestyles that have not been taught by God. Here are a few to get us started:

 

Look out for #1 (the world’s favorite motto).
Boys don’t cry.
Girls do all the housework.
Prejudices against other nationalities, races, ages, and the opposite sex.
 

Within the church, we can find just as many “rules” that are not taught by God but men, including:

 

Women can’t wear pants.
Christians can’t listen to music with a beat.
Men must wear their hair short.
I think you get the idea.

 

When allowing God to teach us, one of the first steps requires a willingness to “unlearn” lessons ingrained in us throughout our lifetime. Jesus spent quite a bit of His time on earth helping human beings release false teachings, especially within the “religious” community.

 

In our current age of seemingly unlimited information, discernment and prayerfulness are more necessary than ever before in sorting out God’s truths from the world’s lies. Leaders and so-called experts abound with ideas and philosophies, but we must choose God alone as our ultimate Teacher.

 

In John 6:45 Jesus states, “It is written in the Prophets they will all be taught by God. Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from Him comes to Me.” Please notice two very important words, namely “all” and “everyone.” God longs to teach each one of His children personally. His classroom is not limited to priests, pastors, prophets, and professors. He welcomes you and me and all who will come. Each lesson will lead us to Jesus and to a greater understanding of who He is and who He wants to be in our lives.
 

Our challenge for this lesson is to analyze our beliefs, standards, lifestyles, and reasons for our attitudes and actions, and ask, “Is this a principle that is taught to me by God or is it something I’ve held onto simply because it was ingrained in me in the past?” Take for example, my parenting ideas. Am I parenting as I am because God has taught me or in response to the way I was brought up? What about my views toward politics, the environment, or relationships? Let’s take them all to God’s classroom and let Him teach.

 

A word of caution: this challenge is a long process. We will not finish in one lesson or even eight lessons. God’s school is open twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week until He takes us home. Also, remember His focus in inward. These lessons develop who we are on the inside.
 

Questions for further study: 

Name at least three people who have taught you valuable lessons throughout your life.
What did they teach you? How did it change you?
List three lessons you have been taught by God since you’ve known Him.
Write out the most recent lesson or principle you have learned from God.

 

For deeper study: Galatians 1:11-24; John 6:45; 1 John 2:27; John 13:1-17.
 

BE TAUGHT BY GOD TO LIVE (Read 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8)
Live in humility. Paul is quick to point out his own teaching is merely an extension of God’s authority in His life. He takes no credit for wisdom dispensed but continues to lead the Thessalonians to God and God alone. All Bible teachers, pastors, and leaders should do likewise. Our goal should be to share our gifts but with constant reminders that the root of all good that results is in Jesus.

Live to please God. Chapter two developed this truth, but Paul reiterated here. God’s will is to teach us this concept daily. I love his encouragement that they are doing a great job. Don’t be slow to hear God say, “Well done!” to you either. He wants to teach us how we are progressing as much as He wants to pick us up from our failings. I often hear both from God within the same situation. “Good job, Karen, on blessing your son through college details.” “Wow, Karen, did you need to get so angry with the administration over a housing conflict?” He is the perfect Teacher.

 

Keep moving forward. When Paul urged the Thessalonians to “more and more” godly living, it reveals God’s nature of always wanting to take us to the next step. While He promotes rest, He works diligently to prevent apathy and atrophy.

 

Teach others and learn from others. Paul knew what his gifts were and how to incorporate them into his daily life. God wants to teach you to do the same. He has given you gifts and wants to teach you daily how and where to use them. He also intends to bless you by teaching others to share their gifts with you. His provisions are glorious when we allow Him to lead us. God matched Paul with the Thessalonians. What doors is He opening for you? How are you responding?

 

I love to pray, so every month I remind our AJM email list to send in their requests and praise reports. The responses are humbling and remarkable, and every one of them goes into my prayer journal. Put your gift out there. Make yourself available. You’ll be blessed at the connections God will bring to your life.

Be sanctified. Sanctification is the process of becoming holy. It is not a done deal. It is ongoing. As we allow God to teach us how to live, we must remember it is a process. Many of us love to check off lists and finish things. Release that tendency with these inward changes. Life with God is just so much more infinite and spiritual. Understand where you are in the process in each area of your life and enjoy the journey.

 

My parenting journey is such a multi-level adventure because I have five children. My oldest is newly engaged and one year away from college graduation. My middle daughter graduates from high school this year, and my fourth child gets his driver’s license at the end of the summer. God is using each one of those situations to mold me in a unique way. I cannot get frustrated if my friend handles the whole high school graduation process better than I do, nor can I be prideful if I soar through the wedding with flying colors. We are all running the race at different paces and in various ways. God’s will is to be the Master Teacher. Are we letting Him?

 

Paul goes on to describe some specific needs related to sanctification in this particular church, but we can all learn from them. Sexual immorality was rampant in Macedonia as it is in most of the world today. However, his use of the phrase “passionate lust” also applies to other objects of lust such as power, wealth, status, or attention. God’s will is to teach us self-control in all areas, and self-control is about knowing God. When we have victory in these areas it serves as proof that we are not simply hearing God’s teachings but applying them and living them. We are allowing God’s lessons to change us daily. 
 

We must learn to combine Spirit-control with self-control. If we submit to our godless passions, whether it be wasteful spending, overeating, or immoral behavior, we cannot cry out, “The Spirit isn’t doing His job!” The Spirit is always doing His job. We have personal responsibility. We must choose to live out God’s teachings in our lives.

 

Letting God teach us how to live the sanctified life is a very deep, ongoing process. Where are you in the process? How are you responding to His most recent teachings?
 

Be warned. God openly warns us about the consequences, discipline, and punishment that come as the result of sin. He teaches clearly that confession and repentance are a necessary reality until He returns. In what area of your life are warning signals flashing? How well are you heeding them?

 

Live in God’s call. You are called. Live there. Pure and holy perfection is not about “doing everything right” or the absence of problems. Perfection is fulfilling the purpose for which you were intended. Daily. Where has He called you today?
 

Live by the Spirit. Paul’s concern is their rejection of the Spirit, not him. The Holy Spirit is the only One who can help us fulfill God’s call and God’s will for our lives. If we reject Him, we miss Jesus completely. The first thing Jesus did after rising from the dead was breathe on his disciples that they might receive the Holy Spirit (John 20:19-23). He is the Counselor, Comforter, Guide, Helper, and so much more. He lives in you now. Live by Him (Galatians 5). He is the Answer to how you can know God’s will, be taught by God, and live in God.

 

Questions for further study:
What are differences between living the world’s way and living God’s way?
What is one of the most significant life lessons God has taught you since beginning in the faith?
What is a lesson you have learned but need to revisit?
How are you living? How have you been taught to live?
Who is teaching you how to live and what are they teaching you?
How is God teaching you to live today?
How is the process of sanctification at work in your life?
What area of your life falters the most within the sanctification process?
What sins is God warning you about? How are you responding?
What is God’s call on your life? How are you responding?
In what area are you tempted to reject God’s Spirit?
How can you embrace the Spirit of God in a fresh way today?

 

For deeper study: Galatians 5:16-26; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 Peter 4:1-6;

BE TAUGHT BY GOD TO LOVE (Read 1 Thessalonians 4:9-10)

Paul doesn’t spend a great deal of time on this principle here because the Thessalonians obviously loved each other well. We must examine our definition of love and our understanding of how to express it. If we depend on Walt Disney’s depiction of love or Nicholas Sparks’ depiction of love, or even some Christian ideas of love, we will fail in this area miserably. Allow God to teach you the truth about love. Paul reminded the Thessalonians, “You yourselves have been taught by God how to love,” (verse 9) and God will teach you personally as well. He longs for one-on-one tutoring sessions more than you do!

 

The phrase “more and more” is used in these verses as before, and reiterates the concept of moving forward in love. We have never arrived. We are never done. There is always more to be learned, another person who needs love, and additional lessons for giving and receiving love. Don’t get comfortable or lazy. God’s will is active and attentive love. Look for it. Ask for it. Listen for it. His lessons of love are everywhere.

 

Questions for further study:
Who has God put in your life that has taught you the most about love?
Who has God put in your life to love today?
How can you express love, especially God’s love to someone today?
What has God taught you about love and how well are you applying it?
Who can you share God’s love with today? How?

 

For deeper study: 1 John 3; 1 Corinthians 13:4-8.

BE TAUGHT BY GOD TO DEPEND ON HIM (1 Thessalonians 4:11-12) 

America’s dependence on the Middle East for oil, a wife’s dependence on her husband for all her emotional needs, or a man’s dependence on his boss’s praise for self-esteem are all examples of relational dependencies that are not God’s will. Our lives are filled with an unhealthy reliance on others that usurps our dependence on God.

 

Paul’s brief disclosure to the Thessalonians in verses 11 and 12 reveal several principles taught by God to facilitate dependence on Him rather than people. While God created the Body of Christ to build each other up, He never intended human beings to replace Him in the lives of His children.

 

Dependence on God requires limited interference from others in our lives. Verse 11 packs quite a punch. As my husband and I drove into Orlando, the phrase “quiet life” was far from the thousands of people filling the streets. Our world becomes noisier every day, and that interference robs us of much-needed peace. We allow so much interference with radio, television, cell phones, and computers constantly buzzing around us that Paul’s admonition is more important today than ever before.

 

It was many years ago that God taught me to depend on Him by not answering the phone every time it rang. I never heard of such a thing! But while visiting a friend, I noticed she didn’t run at the incessant jingling. When I asked her why, she said simply, “We’re talking. They’ll call back if it’s important.” How can you introduce more quiet into your life? Who or what is a constant interference and how is God teaching you to bring more quiet with that person or situation? How are you responding?
 

Dependence on God requires limited interference by us into other people’s lives. Paul knew there was no easy way to say it, “Mind your own business.” Enough said. Don’t let people run your life and don’t try to run other people’s lives. You can trust God with your friends and family and even the neighbor who is driving you crazy. Depend on Him.

 

Dependence on God requires hard work and daily diligence. Do your part. God never teaches dependence on Him as laziness or ease. We must rely on Him for the strength, guidance, and direction to live the life He desires. Make the most of every day and watch the difference it makes in His kingdom. You will not be disappointed.
 

Dependence on God leads to a favorable witness to outsiders. While we are trying to dream up new and improved ways to lead people to the kingdom, God is patiently trying to teach us that daily life in Him works wonders. Look for the opportunities available in your everyday world. You will be amazed at their abundance.

 

Dependence on God requires healthy independence from people. God is not negating relationships. He merely wants to keep them healthy. Once again, breaking unhealthy dependencies is a process. It will not be completed overnight, but we can take the first steps today.
 

Questions for further study:
Who or what were you dependent on before you met the Lord?
How did you progress from that earthly dependence to dependence on the Lord?
Which area of your life proves to be the greatest challenge in depending on the Lord?
Which area of your life seems to be the least challenging to hand over to the Lord?
How can you create a quieter life for yourself and your family?
What noise in your life seems to drown out the Lord at times?
Who is a busybody in your life?
In whose life might you be perceived as a busybody? Are you open to hear the Lord say, “Step back”?
How hard do you work? In what area might God want you to work harder?
How would someone on the outside describe you/your life?
Who or what are you dependent on? How can you become more dependent on the Lord?
In what area is God challenging you to depend on Him more?
What would you like God to teach you today?

BE TAUGHT BY GOD TO HOPE (Read 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)

It is so easy to lose our hope. We live in a time that can be so discouraging because of violence, heartache, stress, and grief. God wants to teach us the importance of hope.

 

The Thessalonians’ hope was wavering because of recent deaths among the believers. Death has a way of paralyzing our hope, which is completely contrary to God’s will. While we need not actively seek the end of our time here on earth, as children of God we definitely should not fear it or even dread it. This loss of hope in the midst of death emphasizes an unhealthy dependence on this earthly life. We are too attached here, as though this life is all there is, when we know better! It is time to renew our hope!
 

Paul’s words of comfort point out the vast differences in the gospel of that day and the gospel we preach now. Today’s evangelism tends to focus on “getting people saved so they can go to heaven.” Paul’s message emphasized knowing Christ, which was also Jesus’ emphasis (see John 17:3). Eternal life is not about “going to heaven,” it is about knowing God personally and intimately while on earth and beyond.

 

The Thessalonians came to know the Lord and seemingly thought little about the afterlife. They were just thrilled to know God through Jesus. They also assumed Jesus was coming back while they were still living. Suddenly, some of their friends in the faith started dying, and they weren’t sure what would happen next. So through Paul God teaches them. For the Christian, there is hope in death. There is hope in the resurrection. There is hope in eternity, but there is also hope for this day. 
 

Jesus lives to give you hope. When those financial, relational, physical, or emotional stresses come, He is our Hope. He is here. We lose the daily battles when we neglect to hold on to our hope in Christ. How do we hold on? There are many ways, but Paul mentions one of the most powerful in verse 15 when he says, “According to the Lord’s own word…”

 

I battled multiple areas of stress the day I first taught this lesson, and all day the Lord kept

reminding me of Habakkuk 3:17-19. Over and over I kept hearing His Word in my heart as well as the encouragement, “Don’t give up! Don’t lose hope!” It doesn’t matter what it looks like on the outside. The circumstances may change, but God is still the same. He is still here. He is still here.

God’s Word is one of the greatest tools to protect our hope. He speaks there. He reveals Himself there. He is the Word. He is all He has ever promised to be and always will be. Don’t let anyone steal that truth. Don’t ever let go of that hope.

 

And don’t confine His Word to the written pages of your Bible. The words of the Lord that Paul refers to in verse 15 are not mentioned anywhere else in the scripture. Paul was sharing the essence of a personal conversation he had with God. God is still in the business of having personal conversations today. What is He teaching you today?
 

He is the only One worthy of your hope. Everyone and everything else in this life is far too fragile and perishable. 
 

As Paul encouraged the Thessalonians so I also encourage you with these words.

In who or what is your hope?

 

Let God teach you to keep your hope in Him and Him alone.
 

Questions for further study:
What is your view of death?
Why do you think we struggle to walk in hope during times of death?
What has God taught you through/about grief?
What excites you the most about the resurrection?
Who are you looking forward to seeing at the resurrection?
How much time do you spend in God’s Word? What is God teaching you in His Word?
What excites you about being with the Lord forever?
How can you focus on eternity more in the midst of your daily routine?
In who or what is your hope?
In what area of your life do you need your hope restored?
In what area of your life is God teaching you to have hope? How are you responding?

 

For deeper study: Romans 5:1-5; 1 Peter 1:3-9; Hebrews 10:23-25.