At the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, British runner, Derek Redmon was a favore to win the medal in the 400 meters. Watching him from the stands is his father Jim Redmond. The gun fires and Redmond had one of the best starts in his career. But approaching the midpoint he experienced a strange "pop." He crashed to the track with a torn hamstring. In a few seconds the race was over and all eyes were on Derek who had pulled himself to his feet and was staggering slowly in great pain to the finish line.

Suddenly a man in the stands pushed past spectators, broke past security guards, and ran onto the track toward Derek. The two men spoke briefly and then Jim Redmond supported his son through the last portion of the race. Together, arm in arm, they proceeded down the track as the stadium exploded in cheers, clappying, and crying. The two men finished the race together.

The Christian experience has been described as running a race. But this race is not about beating someone else; it's about finishing the race and helping others finish. But as we run this race we all fall at some point, we all get distracted. We take detours. But God has given us brothers and sisters to come alongside to help us.

A core value of the Church must be that it's better to journey together than to travel alone.

God knew that we'd all go down at some time. And He knows our weaknesses and disablements better than we do. He knows that from time to time we will get "out of step" with what His Word says or what the Holy Spirit is doing in the church. And He gives us brothers and sisters who "come along side" of us.

1 Thessalonians 5:12-15 says: Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.

*The New American Standard Bible provides a more helpful translation of these same verses. But we request of ou, brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction, and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Live in peace with one another. And we urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with all men. See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all men.*

There is more than one reason why people don't do the "right thing." There is an old saying: "To a man whose only tool is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail." We want to beware of seeing every person who is "out of step" as a "nail."

My purpse is to help you to understand people who are "out of step," and to respond to them in a helpful way to their condition.

The Apostle Paul starts by writing, we urge you to warn the idle. The word in the NIV, "idle," literally means "unruly" or "out-of-step." These people don't want to play by the rules.

Some commentators think that this might be a reference to not working as a form of being "unruly," since Paul tells them several times in both 1 and 2 Thessalonians to be diligent workers and not dependent on others.

The first group did not want to run the race anymore. They had moved to disobedience. They are digging in their heels, stiffening their necks. They have hardening of the heard. They are "Won't do's." Won't do's are people with hard hearts. (reference: the description of the three different types of hearts comes from Jim Dethmer.)

When you've got a brother who is a "won't do" the appropriate response is to warn them. The word "warn" means to "admonish," to teach them with a little edge. It means to put something in their mind. This implies a reprimand or a rebuke; to warn of the consequences of their actions or attitudes.

But we need to remember that admonishing is not shaming. Shaming implies humiliation. The Apostle clarifies the difference when he wrote, I am not writing this to shame you, but to warn you, as my [beloved] children, (1 Corinthians 4:14).

Admonishing or warning doesn't mean a harsh tenor. Admonishing means to confrton and rebuke in real love.

There is an "out of step/unruly" part in every one of us. There's a corner of our hearts where we are won't-do's. We don't want to do what is right. We don't want to do what we know we should do. So God places people around us who come alongside us and paint a picture for us of the consequences of our hard-heartedness.

We've all been out of step with God's purposes for us and the church. There are people here today who are won't do's. They need someone to come alongside them and to warn them.

Paul points out the second group when he wrote, Encourage the timid.

The believers in Thessalonica were being persecuted because of their faith. They had changed loyalties from the pagan gods to the Lord Jesus and they were being persecuted for it. I'll bet some of them were also experiencing discouragement as well and they were starting to go down on the track.

They're not "hard-hearted" - they are faint-hearted. The word "timid" is literally "small of soul." A "large-souled" person embraces life, challenges, and adventure. To be "large-souled" is to be courageous.

What do the timid, the fainthearted lack? They lack courage! They need someone to come alongside of them and encourage them.

There are some "faint-hearted" people here this morning. They "want-to" but they are just scared, fearful, and unsure. Some of you understand God's love and forgiveness, but you haven't nailed it down. You haven't taken the decisive step of trusting Jesus as your Savior.

Some of you have placed your faith in Christ, you're a believer; but you aren't fully following Him in the adventure of tithing or serving or being authentic or baptism. You want to do it but you're faint-hearted. You need someone to come alongside of you and encourage you to go forward.

Here is the final group that Paul points out in this verse: Help the weak.

They are not the rebellious ones, the won't do's. They may or may not have the sense of a want-to because they can't-do. They are broken. they can't get up and run on their own; they need to be carried for a while.

The weak has negative connotations in our culture. In our culture, weak means to be powerless or unable. These believers were spiritually or morally or emotionally unable to keep in step. They did not have the strength or ability.

They aren't hard hearts or faint hearts; they're are broken-hearts. Because of their brokenness they cannot do it themselves. Since they cannot do it in their own strength they need another brother or sister to come alongside of them and support them, to hold them up.

The word "help" means "to cling to" or "to hold on to" (the NKJV translates it as "uphold").

We are to hold on to the powerless ones and not let go of them. We have weak brothers and sisters around us who cannot do it alone.

"In a Christian community everything depends upon whether each individual is an indispensable link in a chain. Only when even the smallest link is securely interlocked is the chain unbreakable...Every Christian community must realize that not only do the weak need the strong, but also that the strong cannot exist without the weak. The elimination of the weak is the death of fellowship," (Bonhoeffer, Life Together, p. 94).

Sometimes we need someone to come alongside of us and just hold us, carry us. We need someone to minister the mercy that starts the healing that leads to wholeness. Can't-do people have broken parts and they need the touch of someone else to heal.

All of 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 is hung by the twin themes of hope and patience. As we do life in community we are to hope for the best in each other while remaining patient until it appears. So be patient, be kind to one another. Be patient. Trust God. And let's run this race together."

There is an African proverb which says, "If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together."

All of us are going to get out of step from time to time. Thank God that He has given us each other so that someone will come alongside of us and provide the appropriate response to our true need.

In the power of Christ, let's finish the race...together.