Encourage and Build

Paul wrote to the church at Thessalonica in 1 Thessalonians 5:11 “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up as you are already doing.”  I’ve always heard that whenever you see a therefore you should look to see what it’s there for.  So let’s look at the verses leading up to verse 11.
First a little background info.  The city of Thessalonica was a bustling seaport city of about 200,000 people.  The largest city in Macedonia and the capital of its province.  Paul had left Thessalonica abruptly after a rather brief stay and was writing to the church to encourage them.  There were recent converts from paganism who were left with little support in the midst of persecution.  Paul writes to encourage these new converts in their trials, to give instruction concerning godly living, to urge some not to neglect daily work, and to give assurance concerning the future of believers who die before Christ returns.
Read 1 Thessalonians 5:1-10
Paul encourages the Thessalonians not to dwell on what others are doing or the trials and difficulties they face in their society, but to focus on Jesus.  He writes in v8-10; “But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.  For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.  He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with Him.
V11 THEREFORE, encourage one another and build each other up, as you are already doing.”
We face trials and difficulties today, too.  Don’t give up.  Be encouraged by God’s Word and encourage one another and build each other up.  Every word or act of encouragement we add to another’s life is a little brick to build her up.  Let’s keep building and change our culture.