Thursday, 29th October 2026
Rev Xi An Poon
主題經文：「這樣，我們就要和主永遠同在。所以，你們當用這些話彼此勸慰。」——帖撒羅尼迦前書四章17節下–18節（和合本）
引言
家人們，早安！
我們相信耶穌必要再來，也盼望將來與祂永遠同在。那麼，這份盼望會怎樣影響我們今天的生活？
帖撒羅尼迦教會成立不久，信徒便面對反對和患難。保羅因反對而被迫離開他們，心裏十分掛念這群初信的人。後來，提摩太帶回他們信心和愛心的好消息，保羅便寫信鼓勵他們，也補足他們信仰上的需要。這封信一般認為寫於主後約50至51年，很可能寫於哥林多。
第四章先教導信徒怎樣生活，才能討神喜悅；接着解答他們對離世信徒的憂慮，指出主再來時，屬祂的人必要與祂永遠同在。
這兩方面連在一起，提醒我們：將來與主同在的盼望，應當引導我們今天怎樣生活。
一、追求聖潔，活出討神喜悅的生活（四1–8）
保羅首先肯定信徒，他們已經按照所領受的教導生活。但他仍然勸他們要「更加勉勵」，在討神喜悅的事上繼續長進。
接着，他清楚指出：「神的旨意就是要你們成為聖潔，遠避淫行。」
這裏的聖潔，有十分具體的內容。保羅要求信徒在性與婚姻的事上持守聖潔、尊貴，不放縱情慾，也不可侵犯、虧負別人。
他們從前生活在拜偶像的環境中，如今既然認識神，就應當讓神的教導引導自己的身體和關係。人的慾望不能成為行事的標準，也不能以滿足自己為理由，傷害別人的婚姻、家庭和信任。
保羅更嚴肅地提醒，主必追究這些惡行。拒絕這教導，就是拒絕那位呼召他們成為聖潔、又賜聖靈給他們的神。
今天，我們也需要認真看待這些提醒。在所觀看的內容、私下的交往，以及婚姻的忠誠上，都要守住合宜的界線。周圍的人怎樣選擇，不能代替我們在神面前的責任。
神已經把聖靈賜給我們。我們要倚靠祂，拒絕罪的引誘，把已經領受的教導實踐出來，在聖潔上繼續長進。
二、彼此相愛，忠心承擔生活的責任（四9–12）
在弟兄相愛的事上，保羅再次肯定他們。他們已經蒙神教導，懂得彼此相愛，而且把愛心實踐在馬其頓各處的弟兄身上。
但保羅仍然勸他們要「更加勉勵」。愛心需要繼續增長，不能只停留在過去曾經有過的付出。
隨後，他提出三個具體的吩咐：立志作安靜人，辦自己的事，親手做工。
作安靜人，是學習過安穩、有秩序的生活；辦自己的事，是專心承擔自己的本分；親手做工，是踏實工作，供應生活所需。保羅要他們在教外的人面前行事端正，也不必倚賴別人。
這裏不是禁止有需要的人接受幫助，而是勸勉信徒忠心承擔自己能夠承擔的責任。彼此相愛的群體，既需要有人願意扶持，也需要每個人盡自己的本分。
對我們來說，這可以從每天最普通的事情開始：答應了的事認真完成，家庭的責任願意分擔，所承擔的工作忠心去做；看見肢體確實有需要，也願意伸手幫助。
別人會從這些生活細節，看見我們所信的主。等候主的人，要珍惜今天的託付，讓愛心成為實際的行動。
三、確信復活，以永遠同在的應許彼此勸慰（四13–18）
最後，保羅談到「睡了的人」，就是已經離世的信徒。
從他的回答可見，信徒需要知道：那些在主再來以前已經離世的人，將來會怎樣？他們會不會錯失與主相聚的福分？
保羅不願意他們因為不明白，以致像沒有指望的人那樣憂傷。他沒有禁止信徒悲傷，而是把他們的目光帶到耶穌的死與復活。
我們既然相信耶穌死而復活，也就有理由相信，在祂裏面離世的人不會被撇下。
保羅按照主的話告訴他們：主再來時，仍然活着的人，絕不會比已經離世的信徒優先。主必親自從天降臨，有呼叫的聲音、天使長的聲音和神的號聲；在基督裏死了的人必先復活。然後，仍然活着的信徒，要和他們一同被提到雲裏，在空中與主相遇。
這段話最後落在一個滿有安慰的應許上：「我們就要和主永遠同在。」
屬主的人，無論在主再來時仍然活着，或已經離世，都不會錯失這份福分。這是建立在耶穌復活和主的話語上的確據。
面對離別，我們仍然會流淚、思念，也需要時間哀傷；但我們知道，在基督裏的死亡不是最後的結局。
我們不知道今生每件事情的結果，卻知道屬主之人最終的歸宿。這份盼望，也使我們在眼前不容易的日子裏，仍然有力量繼續跟從主。
所以，保羅吩咐我們，要用這些話彼此勸慰。當有人憂傷時，我們可以陪伴他、聆聽他，與他一同持守主所賜的應許。
總結
家人們，存着盼望等候主，關乎將來，也關乎今天。
神呼召我們成為聖潔，我們就要認真對付罪，尊重自己的身體，也尊重別人；神教導我們彼此相愛，我們就要付諸行動，忠心承擔自己的責任。
當死亡和離別帶來憂傷，我們仍然可以抓住主的應許：耶穌已經復活，祂必要再來，屬祂的人必要與祂永遠同在。
因着這個確定的將來，讓我們今天繼續遵行主的教導，在困難中靠主站穩，也用祂的應許彼此扶持。
阿們！
Key Scripture: “So we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words.” —1 Thessalonians 4:17b–18 (NIV)
Introduction
Good morning, church family!
We believe that Jesus will come again, and we look forward to being with Him forever. How should this hope shape the way we live today?
The church in Thessalonica faced opposition and suffering soon after it began. Paul had been forced to leave because of opposition, and he was deeply concerned for these new believers. Later, Timothy returned with good news about their faith and love. Paul then wrote to encourage them and provide the teaching they still needed. This letter is generally dated to around AD 50–51 and was most likely written from Corinth.
In chapter 4, Paul first teaches the believers how to live in a way that pleases God. He then addresses their concerns about believers who have died, assuring them that when the Lord returns, His people will be with Him forever.
These two parts belong together: our hope of being with the Lord in the future should guide the way we live today.
- Pursue Holiness and Live to Please God (4:1–8)
Paul begins by affirming that the believers are already living according to the teaching they received. Yet he urges them to do so more and more, continuing to grow in a life that pleases God.
He then makes God’s will clear: they are to be holy and avoid sexual immorality.
Holiness here has a specific focus. Paul calls believers to conduct themselves with holiness and honour in matters of sex and marriage. They must not be ruled by lust or wrong and take advantage of others.
They had previously lived in an environment shaped by idol worship. Now that they knew God, His teaching was to guide how they treated their bodies and their relationships. Personal desire could no longer be their standard. Satisfying themselves could never justify harming another person’s marriage, family, or trust.
Paul also gives a serious warning: the Lord will judge such wrongdoing. Rejecting this instruction means rejecting God Himself—the God who calls them to holiness and gives them His Holy Spirit.
We need to take these warnings seriously today. In what we watch, in our private relationships, and in our faithfulness within marriage, we must keep appropriate boundaries. The choices of those around us do not remove our responsibility before God.
God has given us His Holy Spirit. We are to depend on Him, resist temptation, put into practice the teaching we have received, and continue growing in holiness.
- Love One Another and Faithfully Fulfil Your Responsibilities (4:9–12)
Paul again affirms the believers, this time for their love for one another. God has taught them to love, and they have shown that love to fellow believers throughout Macedonia.
Yet Paul urges them to do so more and more. Love must keep growing. We cannot rely only on what we have given or done in the past.
He then gives three practical instructions: make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, mind your own business, and work with your hands.
Leading a quiet life means seeking a peaceful and orderly way of living. Minding our own business means attending to our responsibilities. Working with our hands means working diligently to provide for our needs. Paul wants believers to live in a way that earns the respect of outsiders and avoids unnecessary dependence on others.
This does not mean that people in genuine need should refuse help. It encourages believers to take responsibility for what they are able to do. A loving community needs both people who willingly help and people who faithfully do their part.
For us, this begins with ordinary daily actions: keeping our promises, sharing responsibilities at home, working faithfully, and helping fellow believers who are genuinely in need.
Through these details of everyday life, others can see the difference our faith makes. As we wait for the Lord, we are to value the responsibilities He has entrusted to us today and express our love through action.
- Trust in the Resurrection and Encourage One Another with the Promise of Being with the Lord Forever (4:13–18)
Finally, Paul speaks about those who have “fallen asleep”—believers who have died.
His response shows what the church needed to understand: What would happen to those who died before the Lord returned? Would they miss the blessing of being gathered to Him?
Paul does not want their lack of understanding to leave them grieving like people who have no hope. He does not forbid grief. Instead, he directs their attention to the death and resurrection of Jesus.
Because we believe that Jesus died and rose again, we can trust that those who have died in Him will not be left behind.
According to the Lord’s word, Paul explains that believers who are still alive when Jesus returns will certainly not have an advantage over those who have died. The Lord Himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, the voice of the archangel, and the trumpet call of God. The dead in Christ will rise first. Then believers who are still alive will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.
The passage leads to this deeply comforting promise: we will be with the Lord forever.
Whether believers are still alive when the Lord returns or have already died, none will miss this blessing. This assurance rests on the resurrection of Jesus and the word of the Lord.
When we lose someone we love, we still weep and miss them. We need time to grieve. Yet we know that, for those who are in Christ, death is not the final outcome.
We do not know how every situation in this life will turn out, but we do know the final destination of those who belong to the Lord. This hope gives us strength to keep following Him through difficult days.
That is why Paul tells us to encourage one another with these words. When someone is grieving, we can stay beside them, listen to them, and help them hold on to the Lord’s promise.
Conclusion
Church family, waiting for the Lord with hope concerns both our future and our life today.
God calls us to holiness, so we must take sin seriously and treat our bodies and other people with honour. God teaches us to love one another, so we must put that love into practice and faithfully fulfil our responsibilities.
When death and separation bring sorrow, we can still hold firmly to the Lord’s promise: Jesus has risen, He will come again, and those who belong to Him will be with Him forever.
Because this future is certain, let us continue obeying the Lord’s teaching today, stand firm in Him through difficulties, and strengthen one another with His promises.
Amen!
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