Keep on Keepin' On

That title sounds trite and stereotypical. Taken in one way, it certainly can be. In the movie Joe Dirt, David Spade played the part of a red-neck, white-trash, janitor. In one scene, he is being interviewed by a popular radio talk show host and is questioned about his motivation for continuing to live. He responded enthusiastically with several phrases: "Life's short, dig it?....You gotta keep on' keepin' on...you can't let 'no' be in your heart, brother!" While Joe Dirt turns out to be a somewhat heart warming tale, where Joe rediscovers what he really has to live for, and sets off on a journey to find his long lost love, he had not yet made this discovery at this point in the movie. "Keep on keepin' on" was not a reference to doing anything worthwhile, but simply towing the line and trudging forward further into mediocrity.

As I use this phrase for the title of an upcoming sermon series through the book of 1 Thessalonians, that is the antithesis of what I am trying to communicate, and among other things, what Paul is trying to convey throughout the whole book of 1 Thessalonians. Robert Thomas claims that the purpose of 1 Thessalonians is threefold: 1) to express satisfaction and thanks to God for the healthy spiritual condition of the church, 2) to make a strong case for countering the false insinuations against himself and his associates, and 3) to suggest specific ways in which the already strong Christian behavior for the Thessalonians could be improved as they continued to seek God-approved holiness.

It is in these contexts that I use the phrase "keep on keepin' on," in hopes that this series will spur us on toward continuing to do what we are already doing that pleases God, and going further in areas where we may be lacking as Christians and members of Christ's body.

Starting next week, I will be posting a weekly devotion that coincides with each sermon, similar in format to the previous ones I posted. It is my hope that you will continue checking back over the next 5 weeks, as we discover a way of living that is worthy of striving to "keep on" participating in.