Podcasts about thessalonian

This sermon explores the Apostle Paul's exhortation in 2 Thessalonians 3 to maintain a diligent work ethic while awaiting Christ's return. The preacher argues that work is a God-given mandate and gift, contrasting it with the sin of idleness which leads to disorder and meddling. By examining the context of the Thessalonian church, the message emphasizes that believers must model hard labor, avoid enabling slackers, and practice restorative church discipline. Ultimately, faithful obedience in daily responsibilities brings glory to God and fosters the peace that comes from a right relationship with Him.

Thinkabout that today. If you know Jesus Christ as your Savior, you are loved byGod! The Bible does not teach us that God loves us because we are good enough,religious enough, or deserving enough. God loves us because of Who He is. John3:16 reminds us, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begottenSon.” Romans 5:8 says, “But God commended His love toward us, in that,while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” God did not wait until wecleaned ourselves up before He loved us. He loved us while we were sinners, andHe demonstrated that love at the cross. ButPaul goes even further. He says, “Knowing, beloved brethren, your electionof God.” Now, the word “election” sometimes becomes the subject oftheological debates. Good and sincere Bible-believing Christians have disagreedover exactly how God's sovereignty and human responsibility work together. ButI think sometimes we can become so occupied with the questions surroundingelection that we miss the wonderful encouragement Paul intended these believersto receive from it. The word simply carries the idea of being chosen to loveand serve God and others. Paul was reminding these Thessalonian believers thattheir salvation was not an accident. God had a purpose for them. God had calledthem to Himself through the Gospel. Andnotice something very important. Paul said, “Knowing… your election of God.”How could Paul know? He could not look into the secret counsels of God ineternity. He could not see their names written in the Book of Life. But hecould see what had happened in their lives. And that becomes especially clearwhen we read the next verse. Verse 5 says: “For our gospel came not unto youin word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance.”Paul knew something genuine had happened because he had seen the evidence. Rememberwhat we learned yesterday. Their faith was working. Their love was laboring.Their hope was enduring. In other words, their changed lives gave evidence ofthe reality of their salvation. Jesus said in Matthew 7:20, “Wherefore bytheir fruits you shall know them.”  Weare not saved by our works, but when we are truly saved, there should be a workof God taking place in our lives. Ephesians 2:8-9 makes it very clear: “Forby grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is thegift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” But we sometimesstop there. Verse 10 continues: “For we are His workmanship, created inChrist Jesus unto good works.” We are not saved by good works, but we aresaved unto good works. That is exactly what Paul was seeing in Thessalonica. Thinkabout what had happened there. Paul had only been with these people for arelatively short period of time. He preached the Gospel to them. They receivedthe Word. They turned from idols to serve the living and true God. Then almostimmediately, persecution came. Yet they remained faithful. Paul could look atthem and say, in effect, “I know God has done something in your lives because Ican see the evidence of His grace.” AndI believe there is a very practical application for us today. What evidence isthere in my life that God is at work in me? Not, “Have I joined a church?” Not,“Have I been baptized?” Not even merely, “Did I pray a prayer sometime in thepast?” Those things may have their proper place, but the question is: Has JesusChrist changed my life? Is there a work of faith? Is there a labor of love? Isthere a patience of hope? Is there a growing desire for the Word of God? Isthere a desire to please the Lord? Is there a love for God's people? When Isin, does the Holy Spirit convict me and draw me back to fellowship with theLord? Do I desire to share Christ with the lost? These are evidences of thework of God within us. 

How should followers of Jesus measure success? Teaching from 1 Thessalonians 2, Pastor Alex explains why Kingdom success is not measured by comfort, recognition, or impressive results. It is measured by faithfulness to God and by helping others stand firm in Jesus. Through Paul's relationship with the Thessalonian believers, we discover that discipleship requires spiritual family, hardship can refine our faith, and people are the true reward. The world asks, “What did you build?” Jesus asks, “Who did you bring?” As you listen, consider two questions: What is your measure of success, and how has hardship affected your faith? Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 2:1-20 Series: The King Is Coming

2 Thessalonians 3:6-15 | August 9, 2026 | Pastor Todd SmithIn this final message from the 2nd Thessalonians series, Pastor Todd addresses the timeless issue of idleness and the importance of a strong work ethic. Drawing from 2 Thessalonians 3, he explains that work is not a curse, but a grace gift designed by God to reflect His glory. The Apostle Paul's instructions to the Thessalonian church remind us that waiting actively for Christ's return means showing up with diligence and excellence in our daily responsibilities.How do we balance waiting on God with working hard in the present? Watch this sermon to discover how a purposeful work ethic transforms our daily lives, protects us from the traps of laziness, and serves as a powerful testimony to those around us.Connect with Crossroads Community Church:Website: https://lifeatcrossroads.orgInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/crossroadscommunitychurchFacebook: https://facebook.com/lifeatcrossroadsGive Online:https://lifeatcrossroads.org/giveonlineLicensing Information:CCLI License #2915685CCS WORSHIPcast License #9466Crossroads Community Church holds a CCS WORSHIPcast License, which grants permission to publicly play, perform, and stream musical compositions controlled by ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC in accordance with CCS License Terms and Conditions.

Notice that he does not introduce himself here as “Paul, anapostle of Jesus Christ,” as he does in several of his other letters. Why? Probablybecause he did not need to defend his apostolic authority with these believers.They knew him. They loved him. Paul had personally brought the Gospel to them. Thenhe mentions two men who had served alongside him: “Paul, and Silvanus, andTimotheus.” Silvanus is the longer form of the name Silas. Silas hadtraveled with Paul on this second missionary journey. He had been there inPhilippi when Paul was beaten and thrown into prison. He was there at midnightwhen they prayed and sang praises to God. And now he had helped Paul establishthis church in Thessalonica. Timotheus, of course, is Timothy. Paul had metthis young man at Lystra and invited him to join the missionary team. Timothywould eventually become one of Paul's most trusted fellow workers. What awonderful picture of ministry. God'swork has always been about one generation passing the truth to anothergeneration. Butthen Paul says something especially important: “Unto the church of theThessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ.” Theword “church” comes from the Greek word ekklesia, which basically means acalled-out assembly. These people lived in Thessalonica, but spiritually theywere in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ. Think about that. Geographically,they were in Thessalonica. Spiritually, they were in Christ. Thessalonica was apagan city filled with idolatry and immorality. These new Christians weresurrounded by a culture that did not share their faith or their values. Theywere already experiencing opposition and persecution because they followedJesus. But their environment did not determine their identity. They were in Godthe Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ. Andthe same is true for us today. We live in a world that increasingly seems to bemoving farther away from God. We are surrounded by temptation. We hearphilosophies that contradict the Word of God. We see values changing around us.But the believer's identity is not determined by the world in which he lives. Weare in Christ. Paul uses that little expression again and again throughout hiswritings. Second Corinthians 5:17 says,“Thereforeif any man be in Christ, he is a new creature.” Romans 8:1 says, “Thereis therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.” Oursecurity is not found in our circumstances. Our security is found in ourrelationship with Jesus Christ. You might say that these Thessalonian believershad two addresses. Their earthly address was Thessalonica. Their spiritualaddress was in Christ. And every believer has those same two addresses. We livesomewhere on this earth. We have a street address, a city, a state, and acountry. But if we have trusted Jesus Christ as our Savior, our most importantaddress is this: We are in Christ. ThenPaul gives them two wonderful words: “Grace be unto you, and peace.” Wejust finished our study of Philippians by noticing how often Paul begins andends his letters with grace. And here it is again. Grace. Then peace. Noticethe order. Grace comes before peace. We cannot experience the peace of Goduntil we have first experienced the grace of God. Grace is God giving us whatwe could never earn and could never deserve. Salvation is by grace. Forgivenessis by grace. Our relationship with God is by grace. Our strength for each dayis by grace. And when we experience God's grace, we can also experience God'speace. Grace and peace. Their circumstances might change.Their friends might turn against them. Persecution might increase. But theirposition in Christ was secure.  Andperhaps that is the great truth we should carry with us today. Our peace doesnot come from living in a peaceful world. Our peace comes from knowing that weare securely in Christ.

Title: All We Need Text: 2 Thessalonians 3:16-18 FCF: We often struggle lacking what is necessary to continue following Jesus. Prop: Because the Lord Jesus supplies all, we must seek the Lord for all we need. Scripture Intro: [Slide 1] Turn in your bible to 2 Thessalonians chapter 3. In a moment we will read the concluding benediction of the letter starting in verse 16. I will read from the Legacy Standard Bible but you can follow along in the pew bible or in whatever version you prefer. Last week, Paul officially buttoned up his main application to the church there in Thessalonica. He wants the issue of the disorderly among them dealt with and has laid out exactly how it should be handled. In the last three verses, Paul introduces three new thoughts which all have one basic application. Seek the Lord. It is perfect way to end this letter and for us to finish our study of 2 Thessalonians. Please stand with me to give honor to and to focus on the Word of God as it is read. Invocation: Loving and Merciful Father, You have given Your people Your Son and with Your Son's ascension You have sent Your Spirit. You have given us, You. And You are all we need. The things of this world are often a distraction to us. We pursue all manner of earthly concerns and use earthly means to make our way through life. We know that this ought not to be. Help us Father to see that You alone are what we need. Convince us through this text that we must seek You. We pray this in Jesus' name… amen. Transition: [Slide 2] “Christ is wisdom for your ignorance, strength for your weakness, righteousness for your guilt, sanctification for your corruption, redemption from all the thralldom of apostasy.” Richard Fuller “Christ is not only the Savior but the salvation itself.” Matthew Henry [Slide 3] “In His life Christ is an example showing us how to live; in His death, He is a sacrifice satisfying for our sins; in His resurrection, a conqueror; in His ascension, a king; in His intercession, a high priest.” Martin Luther “He who thinks he has no need of Christ has too high thoughts of himself. He who thinks Christ cannot help him has too low thoughts of Christ.” J.M. Mason [Slide 4] “Everything that is really worthwhile in the morality of today has come to the world through Christ. Dismiss His standards of right and wrong and try to draw up your own ethical code and see where you will be!” G. Campbell Morgan Let these thoughts prepare our hearts for the exposition of the text this morning. I.) The Lord of peace brings peace, so we must seek the Lord for all we need. (16) a. [Slide 5] 16 - Now may the Lord of peace Himself i. In the closing verses of 1 Thessalonians, Paul asked that the God of Peace sanctify them and preserve them complete and holy for the coming return of Christ. ii. When we dissected that title that Paul gave to God, as the God of Peace, we recognize that only Paul and the writer of Hebrews use this title in the New Testament. And they use it exclusively to people who are being persecuted. iii. Because the writer of Hebrews and Paul are what we might call experts in the law of Moses – or Old Testament Scholars, we understood that Paul was probably referencing the name of God Yahweh Shalom. iv. We then recognized the theological significance of the word Shalom. It not only means a cessation of hostilities between two warring parties, but it also means completeness, wholeness, or bringing what was disordered back into order. v. With the ending of 1 Thessalonians it made sense to see Paul's use of this title to refer to the ongoing work of sanctification in the church, that they would be made whole and complete for the Lord Jesus' return. vi. But in 2 Thessalonians, we might see the word peace used in another way. vii. Certainly, Paul is hoping and praying for the Thessalonians to gain peace from those who are persecuting them. viii. But, two other ides from this letter seem to be at the forefront in their need for peace. ix. First, the anxiety caused by the false teaching that the Day of the Lord had come. Paul hopes that Christ will use this letter to assuage that anxiety and lead them to peace and comfort in the truth. x. And after his most recent discussion Paul may want peace to bring them back into order. xi. We have already noted that the disorderly among them are still causing problems because they are not working and mooching off the church while using their free time to be busy bodies. xii. To the disorderly Paul has commanded them to get a job and mind their business and stop mooching off the church. xiii. Paul has called the church as a whole to avoid them and if they persist in this disorderly conduct to mark them out for disassociation with the hope that they would repent and return to fellowship soon. xiv. Now Paul is seeking the Lord of Peace… the Lord of bringing order from chaos… to b. [Slide 6] continually give you peace in every circumstance. i. Ultimately it is the Lord Jesus Christ that has the power to bind us together and bring order to His church. ii. When disorderly or unruly brothers and sisters arise in the church, we have been told to do certain things, we have been given instructions on what to do and how…. But ultimately, it is the Lord Jesus who brings order from chaos. iii. When false teaching arises and tempts us to waffle on core doctrines of our faith and practice, Jesus' presence and teaching brings us back into order. iv. It is always Jesus who brings us back into order. He makes us whole. c. [Slide 7] The Lord be with you all! i. Paul's last comment here is directed at what could be a fractured community. ii. He is not requesting that Jesus be with the orderly, as if all of them are against the disorderly. iii. Nor is he requesting that Jesus be with the disorderly as if in a punitive or corrective way. iv. He is requesting that Jesus be with… all of them. v. The ordered and the disordered alike. vi. Christ will bring them peace. From without and from within. He is our hope. d. [Slide 8] Summary of the Point: Paul has three final thoughts in this benediction to close out what is the last canonical letter to the Thessalonian church. The first of these is a prayer that the Lord of peace would continually give them peace. The truth behind this, of course, is that the Lord Jesus is the Lord of peace. A title given to him by the prophet Isaiah, is that He will be the Prince of Peace. He will bring all chaos into order. He will bring all brokenness into wholeness. He will make all things new. He is doing that right now for His church. And one day, He will do that for the whole world. By application then, the apostle Paul is pointing the Thessalonians to this Lord of peace. We too must trust Him completely to bind us up and make us whole. He will bring us into order. He will set us right. We must seek Him to do that and all else we need. Transition: [Slide 9 (blank)] Paul's first thought was a hope that the Thessalonians would be given order and peace from their persecution, their anxiety, and their disorder. What is Paul's second thought he wishes to leave with the Thessalonians. II.) The Lord has given His instruction to us through His apostles, so we must seek the Lord for all we need. (17) a. [Slide 10] 17 - The greeting is in my own hand— i. The second point Paul raises in his final thoughts to the Thessalonians is one that is somewhat difficult to ascertain at first. ii. We know that Paul used amanuensis (uh-man-yoo-EN-suhs), which was the use of a writer to take down and relay his thoughts in a letter. Probably Silas wrote for Paul in this case, and perhaps he and Timothy also contributed or helped to edit the letter. All of this is by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to convey the exact words of God to the Thessalonians and later to us. iii. Scholars also speculate that this was done primarily because Paul's eyesight has been problematic. Both from his interaction with Christ and the scales forming over them, and then later with a possible bout of Malaria he contracted on his first missionary trip in Cyprus. iv. In any case, Paul takes the pen from whoever is writing on his behalf and chooses to write the words that follow. v. What we have to speculate on, is exactly why Paul calls this out in this letter. He did not do this in his previous letter to them, and he only does this in 5 of his 13 letters in the New Testament. vi. So, what is the significance of his calling out his greeting written in his own hand? vii. Let's keep reading and see if there are more clues. b. [Slide 11] Paul, which is a distinguishing mark in every letter; this is the way I write. i. Here we find out that Paul puts his handwriting in every single letter he has written, whether he calls attention to it or not. Meaning it also appeared in 1 Thessalonians. ii. What is the purpose of him writing a greeting in each letter? iii. He says it is a “distinguishing mark” which is the word sign. As in “signs and wonders.” iv. Now, having studied the book of Acts, we know that sign gifts like tongues, miracles, healings, and prophesy, were used at the foundation of the church to authenticate that those who spoke the gospel were sent by God or to authenticate that people had actually received the gospel. v. In that same vein, we see that Paul's mark, or his handwritten message serves as an authentication that he himself is sending this letter. vi. He identifies himself by his handwriting. vii. Because it is truly from Paul, it bears the authority of an apostle of Jesus Christ, which carries the weight of Christ Himself. viii. So, why is Paul pointing to this letter being authentic and authoritative? ix. Well, way back in chapter 2, remember that Paul was dealing with the Thessalonians receiving teaching, preaching, prophesy, or even letters that were confusing the Thessalonians and convincing them that the Day of the Lord had already come. x. He even mentions that the letter supposedly came from him and his companions. xi. In this letter, Paul has directly contradicted that false teaching about the Day of the Lord. xii. Therefore, he calls out his personal greeting to remind the Thessalonians that unless a letter bears HIS handwriting in some location in the letter – it is NOT FROM HIM. xiii. They are to compare any letter supposedly from him, with this one to verify its authenticity and authority. c. [Slide 12] Summary of the Point: Paul's second thought he wishes to convey to the Thessalonians is the rubric for determining whether something is authentic and authoritative. Of course, we know that the teachings of Paul are not Paul's own invention but are rather handed down from Christ, verified by the rest of the apostles, and then passed on to the churches Paul founded in his missionary journeys. Therefore, this teaching that is being authenticated is teaching that is from Christ Himself. And it is important for the Thessalonians to be clear on that point. In this, they are to trust and obey anything that does come from Christ through His apostles and dismiss or at least treat less authoritatively anything that does not bear those signs or marks. For us then, we must trust what the Lord has said and obey it without question. Again, we are to seek the Lord for all we need including what is true. [Slide 13 (blank)] Transition: Paul now has only one thought left he wants to leave with the Thessalonian's. What could be the last thought Paul wants to leave with them? What else could it be… but the grace of God. III.) The Lord gives grace to His church, so we must seek the Lord for all we need. (18) a. [Slide 14] 18 - The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ i. Paul's final hope or wish for them is that they receive and live in the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. ii. What is grace… C'mon CBC... You should know this by now. iii. [Slide 15] God's Grace is God's power which He grants to people according to His free will, to enable them to be, receive, or do something that they are unable and unwilling to be, get, or do on their own. iv. Grace from God, is what is truly needed by all believers as they endeavor to obey God's commands. v. And Paul has called the Thessalonian church to do some difficult things in obedience to Christ's commands and the Christian tradition. vi. If they are going to obey, they must have the grace of God. There will be no hope without it. vii. Paul has also called them to trust in God's future provision and protection of them from those who are persecuting them, knowing that one day Jesus will judge the living and the dead. viii. If they are going to keep believing that, they will need God's grace. ix. But again – who is the grace for? Is it for just the orderly to do what he has commanded them to do? b. [Slide 16] be with you all. i. Paul asks for Christ's grace to be given to all of them. ii. Even though he has had some harsh words for the disorderly, he believes that with Christ's grace, they can turn from their sin and get back in line and conform to the Christian tradition again. iii. No matter what God calls us to be or do, we too need His grace to see us to and through it. c. [Slide 17] Summary of the Point: Paul's final thought again revolves around the Christian's absolute need of Christ. He hopes that the Lord Jesus will give grace to them all to enable them to be and do all that Christ commands them to be and do. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I can think of no greater hope, wish, prayer that could be offered for a Christian brother or sister than to wish them the grace of God. Don't wish them a great day. Don't wish them to have fun. Don't wish for them to be blessed. Grace to you. It is the best hope and wish you could give to a believer. Because Christ is always what they need. And grace is Christ's power to effectively help them. The Thessalonians are once again told to look to Christ. Christ for Peace. Christ for truth. Christ for grace. Christ for everything. Because Christ said, without me you are nothing. So, we must seek the Lord Jesus for grace to help us be His followers. Conclusion: So CBC, what have we learned today that refines our beliefs and guides our lifestyles? Basics of Faith and Practice: [Slide 18] Paul's primary point of this closing benediction is to turn the attention of the Thessalonians onto Christ Jesus their Lord. He is their source for peace. Peace with unbelievers, peace from doctrinal dismay, and peace among each other. He is their source for truth, to hold fast to and believe. He is their source for grace to provide God's Power to do all that He has commanded of them. The Lord Jesus Christ is their source for everything. And so, the implied application to them is… look to and seek Jesus for all they need. Do they need peace? He is peace. Do they need truth? He is truth. Do they need grace? He gives grace! We too must understand that this is what it means to be a believer. This is what it means to be a Christian. This is what it means to follow Jesus. It is to see Jesus Christ as our source for all we need. Not money. Not fame. Not family. Not power. Christ. And Christ alone. So how does this impact us today? What applications endure into the 21st century here? 1.) [Slide 19] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must affirm that Jesus is the Lord of peace. a. Every single human being on the planet is looking for peace. b. By peace I do not mean world peace necessarily. I don't mean the cessation of war, necessarily. c. I mean order. I mean unity. I mean wholeness. I mean completeness. d. All human beings want this kind of peace. e. This is the reason that those who preach tolerance cannot tolerate someone who is intolerant. f. This is the reason that mob mentality and echo chambers exist. g. This is the reason that political parties have been polarized into two broad factions, but both parties can't seem to keep infighting from happening. h. Everyone wants wholeness on their terms. Everyone wants their own definition of order. i. And conservative or liberal, homosexual or heterosexual, pro-life or pro-choice, everyone wants the other people to change and be conformed into their image. j. Jesus, as the King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Prince of Peace… will make everything new. What does that mean? k. He will fundamentally conform all things to His will. Some by loving guidance, some by forceful rescue, but most by insurmountable power and glory. l. Jesus came as a meek human to die to save His people from their sin. The next time He comes, He will save the world from sinners. m. He will not come in meekness. He will come in power. And He will have peace. n. Blessed are those who seek the peace He offers now. For they will inherit the Kingdom He brings. o. Cursed are those who fight for their own version of order, for they will be part of the chaos He puts down to consummate His Kingdom. p. Jesus is the only path to peace. Continually growing peace in our lives today and perfect and complete peace in the Kingdom that is to come. q. Peace today won't mean the lack of violence, hatred, and hostility. But it does mean completeness, wholeness, and order. The peace of Jesus conforms us to His life, His commands, His ways. In this we are brought into HIS order. We are expected to conform to Him. And as each of us are brought into conformity to HIM – We have peace with one another. r. But peace in His Kingdom will be perfect and it will be complete. We will never have a reason to shed tears again. We will know no sorrow. We will know no war. We will know no failure. s. Jesus is the Prince of Peace. And in Him alone we will find growing peace for today and perfect peace forever. 2.) [Slide 20] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must affirm that Jesus is the source of truth. a. Have you noticed that those who desire conformity and peace to their own standard MUST, by necessity, alter or deny the clear teaching of the word of God? b. Why do you suppose that is? c. Why is there a bible called The Queen James Bible where all “confusing” passages that seem to indicate that God does not approve of the LGBTQIA+ lifestyles have been removed? d. Why did Thomas Jefferson remove portions of the bible he didn't agree with? e. Why do churches bend over backward to explain how when Paul says that no woman should preach and exercise authority over men in the church… that that means women should preach and exercise authority over men in the church? f. Because they have no desire to conform themselves to Christ. So, they must conform Christ to them. g. The Reformation sought to reform the Roman Catholic church in five separate ways. The Reformers argued that if these five things changed in the Roman Catholic Church, they would make progress to go BACK to what the apostles taught, which is what Christ taught. h. And, arguably, the pinnacle of these 5 reforms was the Latin words “Sola Scriptura” i. Officially the Roman Catholic church teaches that the wisdom of church theologians down through the ages, and the traditions and conclusions of church councils, should be held in equal authority to what the Scriptures Teach. j. The Reformers argued, correctly, that the Scriptures alone should have the FINAL authority on faith and practice of every single person in the church. k. In essence, this is EXACTLY what Paul is teaching in this text. The Thessalonians had heard from prophets, letters, and preachers that the Day of the Lord had come. Paul, an actual apostle of Jesus Christ, bearing the teaching directly from Christ, says NO! That is not the truth. It is contradictory to what is the truth. l. Paul does not tell them to hold in equal balance what the others taught and what he taught. Paul does not tell them to find the truth in the middle somewhere. Paul doesn't say that both must be true some how. Instead, Paul says, they are wrong and Jesus is right. m. This doesn't mean that church tradition and church scholars, theologians, creeds, and councils should be eliminated. Far from it. Church tradition, scholars, creeds, councils should be consulted as a secondary source to help put up guardrails on our own personal interpretations of the scriptures. n. BUT… where the Scriptures, which is the Word of God, which is another name for Jesus Himself, where the Scriptures disagree with any human… Pope, priest, scholar, church doctor, saint, or otherwise… We are to trust the scriptures and deny the human's wisdom. For if it disagrees with or contradicts the clear teaching of the scriptures… it is not wisdom at all. It is foolishness. o. This is what the Reformers taught. And it is what Paul is teaching here. p. Jesus is our source for truth. The inspired Word of God in 66 books, is our guide for what we must believe and how we must live. q. We are told to approach the scriptures like they are a mirror. How foolish to approach a mirror and see something off or out of place in the reflection and conclude that the mirror must be broken? How foolish to think that perhaps if we viewed the mirror from a different angle, it would make our reflection better? r. But people who disagree with the clear teachings of the scriptures in order to support their own beliefs or lifestyles are approaching the mirror and concluding that the mirror is faulty. s. Or they stand in front of a mirror in such a way that all the things wrong with them don't appear, and they conclude that they are fine. And they leave the mirror the exact same as they always had been. t. My friends, if you cannot remember the last time the Word of God challenged you to change what you believe or how you live… something is wrong! 3.) [Slide 21] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must affirm that Jesus gives us grace. a. The definition of grace today in the church has become so watered down and so empty that it means little more than kindness. b. Preachers, even in evangelical protestant circles, preach a grace that is spread so thin that it has no power to do anything unless men add something to it. Without men helping it… it lies dormant, powerless, and ineffective. c. But Paul doesn't tell the Thessalonians to make sure to receive and act on Jesus' grace. He simply asks for Jesus' grace to be given to them all. d. Grace… God's grace… is POWERFUL. It is ALWAYS effective. e. It is not grace to give potential to help us. It is grace TO HELP US. f. When God gives us grace… IT WILL DO what it is given to do. g. [Slide 22] That is why I have tried, so very hard, to get you all to memorize this definition of God's grace. Because I think it accurately and effectively teaches a biblical definition of God's grace. A grace with teeth. A grace with power. A grace that is what the biblical authors claim it is. h. God's Grace is God's power which He grants to people according to His free will, to enable them to be, receive, or do something that they are unable and unwilling to be, get, or do on their own. i. And when we have this definition of grace, we recognize that the greatest thing we could pray for a fellow believer and even for unbelievers, is that God would shed His grace on them. j. Unbelievers need His power to see their own sin and to enable them to believe on Christ. k. Believers need His power to be and do all that He has commanded them. l. Humans in general exist by the grace of God. m. I challenge you all to BEEF UP your view of the grace of God. Make it as powerful as Paul makes it here. That the hope and strength for the Thessalonians doing and being all that he has told them to be and do… is the grace of Jesus Christ. n. When we combine the last three truths we must affirm together… 4.) [Slide 23] Evangelism: “What about this text points us to Jesus Christ, the gospel, and how we are restored?” This is the gospel. The gospel is seeing Jesus as our source for everything. If Jesus is anything less to you – you are missing the gospel. a. His words and lifestyle teach us truth. b. His sacrifice and power bring us peace. c. His advocacy and Authority give us grace. d. With the summation of all three of these truths, we conclude that Jesus is everything. e. And my friends… this is the gospel. The gospel is that Jesus is everything. Not just our hope for forgiveness. Not just our substitute. Not just our atoning sacrifice. f. But Jesus is… EVERYTHING. g. To the extent that our whole lives are reoriented around who He is and what He has commanded of us. h. If you are here today, and you either claim to be a Christian, or you desire to be a Christian… this is what it means to be a Christian. It is to have all your life ruled by Jesus Christ. i. He is your hope for peace. j. He is your source for truth. k. He is your supplier of grace. l. He is… your… everything. m. That is what it means to follow Christ. n. If you claim to be a Christian… but Christ isn't your everything and never has been. I don't know what gospel you believed… but I do know that it was false. o. If you have never claimed to be a Christian but want to follow Jesus… You need to speak with someone… right now… that you know is a Christian. They will show you what followers of Christ look like. p. Don't wait for me to get done preaching. Go now… our Elders are prepared to talk to you. q. If you remain, I'll assume that you claim to be someone who is following Christ as best you can. So, what does that mean as we look at this text? 5.) [Slide 24] Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don't naturally do or aren't currently doing?” We must continue to seek the Lord for all we need. a. There are a lot of sources that we can be tempted to look to provide peace, truth, and even power. b. What do we need to feel whole? Complete? Ordered? i. For many people we look for earthly things to make us feel complete. 1. We look for possessions or things. Things and possessions are not bad in and of themselves. But when we seek them to feel whole… they will not satisfy. 2. We look for family. Family can certainly fill up our lives and make us feel part of something bigger. But family fails. Life is fleeting. And sometimes people don't do what you want them to. 3. We look for a tribe or group of likeminded people. This creates a sense of belonging. All of us are the same. We see the world in the same way. But ultimately you will find something to disagree on… or that unity will not produce the wholeness that you desire. ii. In the end, the only thing that can bring us wholeness, completeness, or order… is the God who created us. He knows exactly what we need and how to put us back together. He watched us break apart and He knows the pieces we are missing. Pieces… we assumed were there… He supplies. iii. Without Christ, you will know no peace. c. What do we need to rest in truth? i. For many people they look to earthly things for truth. 1. Rationalism and reason, materialism, and postmodernism point to contradictory paths to truth. Who is right? Everyone, or no one? We just don't know. 2. Human wisdom, settled science, has long been shown to be anything but wisdom and anything but science. 3. History books are always written by the people who win. Are we sure their telling the whole story? 4. Hospitals and medical schools tell us what is best for us… but they also get paid well to tell us one answer and paid nothing to tell us other answers. 5. What is truth? Does truth even matter? ii. Christ is the truth. He alone provides a foundation, a bulwark of something solid and unshakable. iii. For a true Christ follower, we shouldn't start our sentences with “I think” or “I feel like” we must start our sentences with… “turn with me to…” d. What do we need to get more power? i. Again… people often turn to earthly things. 1. Money is power. 2. Fame is power. 3. Influence is power. 4. Secret knowledge is power. 5. And we can't deny that to a certain degree, all of these gain power for people in this life. ii. But true power, comes from God who gives grace to His people freely. The power to live the way our creator desires us to live, comes from the creator Himself. All other powers are failing and fleeting and will be destroyed when He comes again. e. So, Christians… all we need is found in Jesus Christ. Don't be distracted by lesser sources. He is all we have and He is all we need. 6.) [Slide 25] Comfort: “What comfort can we find here?” or “What peace does the Lord promise us in light of this passage of scripture?” Jesus will never fail. a. The story has been written. b. The end has already been told. c. Jesus is… right now… reigning over the world. d. He has conquered sin and death. And one day soon He will conquer all sinners, angelic and human alike. e. My friends, Jesus wins. Always. f. Take comfort in this as believers… g. But if you are still in the room and not a believer… this shouldn't comfort you at all – but it is a warning. h. Jesus wins. i. Blessed are those who repent and serve Him now. [Slide 26 (end)] Let me close with a prayer by the early church father Methodious of Olympia I long for you, Lord of mercy and Lord of my fathers. You have stooped down in grace as a mediator, bringing peace and harmony between heaven and earth. I seek you, great author of all. With longing I expect you who embrace all with your Word. I wait for you, Lord of life and death. I look for you, giver and successor of the law. I hunger for you, the one who makes the dead come back to life. I thirst for you, who refreshes the weary. I desire you, creator and redeemer of the world. You are our God, and we adore you. You are our holy temple, and we pray in you. You are our lawgiver, and we obey you. You are God of all things, the first. God the Father has begotten no other god, and there is no other son who is of one substance and one glory with the Father. To know you is perfect righteousness, and to know your power is the root of immortality. For our salvation, you were made the headstone of the corner, precious and honorable. All things are placed under you as their cause and author, as he who brought all things into being out of nothing. You steer the universe with your wise and steady hand. You are the principle of order and the bond of unity and peace. In you we live, and move, and have our being. So, I will glorify you, my Lord and God. I will praise your name, for you have done wonderful things. From ancient days your wise counsel is faithfulness and truth. You are clothed with majesty and honor. What is more magnificent than for you, the King, to assume our humanity, illuminating those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death? Your servant, King David, rightly once sang of you as the King Eternal, saying "you are the most excellent of men" (Psalm 45:2). Coming to the earth, you took on righteousness and faithfulness. Yes, you are righteousness and truth, the joy and praise of all. So, we rejoice this day, along with the heavens, for you have shown mercy to your people. Let the clouds drop the dew of righteousness upon the world, and let the earth sound a trumpet blast, for the resurrection is come. I am filled with comfort, and I am overflowing with joy, O Savior of the world! We pray this in Your name. Amen. Benediction: May the Lord prosper your work and defend you, May his goodness and mercy attend you, May you ponder anew what the Almighty will do, That you may rejoice with all your heart and never again fear any harm. Until we meet again, as Paul prayed for the Thessalonians, Grace and Peace to you.

Grab your Bible and join us as we continue our study in 1 Thessalonians. In Chapter 1, Paul gives heartfelt thanks to God for the Thessalonian believers, highlighting the clear marks of their genuine conversion: their work of faith, labor of love, and steadfast hope in the Lord Jesus Christ. He reminds them that the gospel did not come to them merely in words, but in power, in the Holy Spirit, and with full conviction, so that they received the word in much affliction yet with the joy of the Holy Spirit, becoming imitators of Paul and of the Lord.

What would be the greatest blessing Paul could receive at the Judgment Seat of Christ? The Thessalonian believers were Paul's crown, glory and joy, they would be in heaven with Paul one day. What is your mission? Who can you inspire?

Do you wake up each morning thinking about holiness? For many people, holiness is a word that feels outdated, misunderstood, or even harmful. Yet Paul tells the Thessalonian church that true holiness is central to the Christian life—and surprisingly, it has everything to do with how we live in our bodies.Join us as we explore how Jesus transformed our understanding of holiness. By taking on our humanity in all its brokenness, He made a way for ordinary people to become conduits of God's grace and holy presence in the world—not through pride or perfectionism, but through humble, Spirit-filled lives. Discover how holiness isn't about looking down on others, but about learning to walk hand in hand with our heavenly Father, who loves us.Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8 ESV

As Paul concludes his first letter to the Thessalonian church, he leaves believers with a powerful reminder: God is faithful, and He will complete the work He has begun in His people.In this message, Pastor Dave Klassen explores Paul's final prayer and exhortations from 1 Thessalonians 5:23-28, encouraging us to pursue holiness in every part of our lives—body, soul, and spirit. We are reminded that God's grace is more than undeserved favor; it is His active work within us, giving us both the desire and the strength to obey Him.This sermon also challenges us to:- Trust in God's unfailing faithfulness.- Live lives that honor Christ in every area.- Pray faithfully for one another.- Walk in unity and genuine love within the church.- Live out our faith every day as we await Christ's return.Whether you've been following our study through 1 Thessalonians or are joining us for the first time, this message offers practical encouragement to surrender your life fully to God and faithfully live out the Gospel.Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:23–28

Title: “The Christian's Labor and Giving” Part 2 Text: 2 Thessalonians 3:11-15 FCF: We often struggle having a Godly perspective on labor and giving. Prop: Because godly leaders teach and demonstrate God's will for His people, we must work quietly to provide needs or face corporate correction and disassociation. Scripture Intro: [Slide 1] Turn in your bible to 2 Thessalonians chapter 3. In a moment we will begin reading in the Legacy Standard Bible in verse 6 and read through verse 15. You can follow along in the pew bible or in whatever version you prefer. Last week, Paul the primary topic of application in this second letter to the Thessalonian church. It is not a new topic. It is one he addressed already in the first letter to them. But it is a problem that hasn't gone away. In fact, it doesn't seem like his advice or commands in the first letter have made much of a change in the church. So, Paul is going to press the issue. He has commanded those who are orderly to keep away from or avoid the disorderly in the church. He has also pointed to he and his companions' example and to his outright teaching on the matter of laboring to provide for your own needs and the needs of others. Last week we stopped short of Paul actually addressing those who are unruly. Today, Paul will clearly define who he considers unruly and why, and will command them to do something. Paul will then follow up with commands, once again, to the orderly church members and how to conduct themselves going forward. Please stand with me to give honor to and to focus on the Word of God as it is read. Invocation: Holy Father, You have made it clear that it is only in Your Son whom You have ever been well-pleased. He is the only human who has ever obeyed You perfectly, having kept Your whole law without one single violation despite enduring all the trials and testings of this life. And though Christ fulfills the law for us, He does this so that we may be declared righteous in Your sight, not so that we may continue to sin. In fact, as part of Your transforming work in us, You put Your Spirit in us to conform our wills to Yours. We, as your people, no longer desire to live in sin but rather desire to observe all that Your Son has commanded and demonstrated to us. I pray that You would use Your Word today to conform us to the image of Your Son. We pray this in Jesus' name, Amen. Transition: [Slide 2] “The most deeply felt obligation on earth is that which the Christian feels to imitate the Redeemer.” Albert Barnes “The universal command of the gospel that comprises all our duties is to walk as Christ walked.” William Bates “The gospel does not make us like Adam in His innocence – it makes us like Christ, in all the perfection of His reflection of God” Sinclair Ferguson [Slide 3] “None can know their election but by their conformity to Christ, for all that are chosen are chosen to sanctification.” Matthew Henry “Putting on Christ is not one among many jobs a Christian has to do; and it is not a sort of special exercise for the top class. It is the whole of Christianity. Christianity offers nothing else at all.” C.S. Lewis Let these words prepare us for the exposition on the text of scripture this morning. I.) Godly leaders teach and demonstrate God's will for His people, so we must work in quietness, provide for ourselves and keep providing for other believers in need. (11-13) a. [Slide 4] 11 - For we hear that some among you are walking in an unruly manner, doing no work at all, but acting like busybodies. i. Paul finally outlines exactly what the disorderly brothers are doing. ii. We've pieced it together, but here it is, clearly stated. iii. Paul has heard, probably from Timothy's report brought back to Corinth, that there are still people in the church who are not working. iv. So, what do they fill their time with? v. Meddling in other people's affairs, gossiping, and generally causing problems in the church. vi. There is actually a play on words here in the Greek that isn't easily brought into English. Something like “they are busy about everyone's business but their own.” But even that doesn't quite do it justice. vii. There is an old saying, “Idle hands are the devil's playground” or “workshop”. Either one conveys the truth that this passage seems to affirm. viii. Because they are not laboring hard to provide for themselves, and are living off the provision of others, they have time to involve themselves in everyone else's lives. And not in a helpful way. ix. It is difficult to know exactly why this was happening. x. Biblical scholars debate what exactly prompted these people to not work at all. xi. But perhaps the Holy Spirit has left this vague so that we might draw the greater principle without being too entangled by the specifics. xii. Paul has already addressed how the church at large is supposed to treat these unruly brothers. xiii. But what about the unruly ones? What about these lazy busybodies? What must they do? b. [Slide 5] 12 - Now such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ, i. Paul issues another command in this text. It is the exact same word he used to command that the orderly keep away from the disorderly. ii. It is clear however, that although Paul is commanding the disorderly, he is doing so publicly to the whole church by saying “such persons we command” iii. And not only does Paul command them, he exhorts them as well. This means to urge or implore them to action. iv. Paul wants to see change. He wants to see movement. v. And notice he commands them in “the” Lord Jesus Christ. vi. This is again appealing to the authority of Christ Jesus as Lord of all of His creation. vii. But notice also, that before when Paul commanded the orderly brothers, he said in the name of “our” Lord Jesus Christ. viii. Here Paul omits the possessive pronoun “our” and simply says “the” Lord Jesus Christ. ix. We shouldn't make too much of this, but perhaps, although calling them brothers before to the rest of the church, Paul, now speaking to them, doesn't want to give them the same assurances he gave the orderly believers in the church. x. But what does he command of them? c. [Slide 6] that working with quietness, i. Paul is commanding them to work. ii. Go get a job and work hard. iii. And then Paul adds some clarity to that with the prepositional phrase, “with quietness.” iv. Quietness here is a noun and it refers to being in a state lacking uproar or causing disturbances. v. Paul is commanding them to work hard and while they are doing that, they must also be sure to dwell in a state of not involving themselves in things that do not pertain to them. vi. Shut up and go back to work.

A spiritual battle is taking place in Thessalonica as Satan hinders Paul from returning and through afflictions seeks to destroy the Thessalonian church's faith in Christ. Paul is burdened that the Thessalonians keep the faith and so sends Timothy to strengthen them in their faith. We see from these verses that in every trial God has a good purpose for us—to refine our faith—but Satan has an evil intention too. He aims to destroy our faith. We must be aware of these spiritual realities at play in our lives as we trust in Jesus and go through afflictions.

The Apostle Paul, in 2 Thessalonians 2:13-17, gives thanks to God for the Thessalonian believers, whom He chose from the beginning to salvation, through the sanctification of the Spirit and belief in the truth of the gospel of grace. This salvation leads to obtaining the glory of Christ at the Rapture, which is why Paul urges them to stand fast and hold to his teachings they received by word or epistle. God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, Who loved us, have given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace. Paul prayed that this truth would comfort believers' hearts and establish them in every good work. https://bereanbiblesociety.org/tbg-episode/406-good-hope-through-grace/ Episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ofBTtiix4Jw Buy episode on DVD: https://store.bereanbiblesociety.org/shop/dvd-transformed-by-grace-single-episode-1-dvd-402-410/?attribute_pa_episode=406-good-hope-through-grace Buy series on DVD: https://store.bereanbiblesociety.org/shop/dvd-transformed-by-grace-series-comfort-from-above/

First Thessalonians closes with Paul pressing very practical faith into everyday church life. Paul had only been with the Thessalonians for a short time, about three weeks, and yet God had made that young church rock solid in the middle of horrible persecution. The Thessalonian church had become a model church, not because life was easy, but because its eyes were not settled on this life alone. Eternity was the bigger picture, and that made the suffering of this world lose its power to steal ultimate hope.Paul begins with social attitudes in the body of Christ. The church is to recognize those who labor, lead, and admonish, and to esteem them highly in love for their work's sake. Paul does not make leadership a matter of status, but of service, labor, and spiritual responsibility. The church is also called to be at peace, not merely sitting together on Sunday morning, but being one in spirit and love.Paul then turns to the way believers treat one another. The unruly are to be warned, like soldiers who have stepped out of rank and weakened the whole army. The fainthearted are to be comforted, the weak upheld, and all are to be treated with patience. God gives gifts, talents, money, and responsibilities not so that a person can “get all he can and can all he gets,” but so that the church may serve, help, and strengthen one another.Paul's short commands come like a staccato list. “Rejoice always” does not mean painful circumstances are easy or enjoyable. It means the believer's heart is fixed beyond the rain cloud of this life, toward eternity in the presence of God. “Pray without ceasing” means more than muttering words. Prayer is communion with God, an attitude of surrender and communication throughout the day.Paul also commands thankfulness in everything. The Charlie Brown rain cloud may hang over a person in dark seasons, but gratitude turns the heart toward God even there. Paul then warns, “Do not quench the Spirit.” The Holy Spirit speaks, guides, strengthens, and convicts, and the believer must not keep resisting until the heart grows dull.Paul finally says to test all things, hold fast to what is good, and abstain from every form of evil. The Word of God becomes the measure for prophecies, impressions, counsel, conscience, and conduct. Paul leaves no room for bitterness, unforgiveness, selfishness, or careless living. The church's relationships, thankfulness, discernment, and moral conduct reflect directly on Jesus Christ before a watching world.

This sermon addresses the Thessalonian believers' misunderstanding regarding the timing of the Day of the Lord, correcting their fear that they were already in a time of divine judgment. The preacher explains that specific prerequisites, namely a great falling away and the revelation of the man of sin, must occur before this period begins, thereby offering comfort by confirming they are not currently under God's wrath. By analyzing Old Testament prophecies and the role of the Holy Spirit, the text clarifies that the Antichrist cannot be revealed until the restraining influence is removed. The message emphasizes that salvation rests on believing the truth, while those who reject it will face strong delusion. Ultimately, the sermon urges Christians to stand firm in their faith and live steadfastly, anchored by the hope of Christ's return.

Title: “The Christian's Labor and Giving” Part 1 Text: 2 Thessalonians 3:6-10 FCF: We often struggle having a Godly perspective on labor and giving. Prop: Godly leaders teach and demonstrate God's will for His people, so we must follow their example and work to care for ourselves and others. Scripture Intro: [Slide 1] Turn in your bible to 2 Thessalonians 3. In a moment we'll read verses 6 through 15 from the Legacy Standard Bible. You can follow along in the pew bible or in whatever version you prefer. As Paul approaches the end of his letter, he has a few things he wishes for the Thessalonians to do. First, to pray for them that the gospel would continue to make progress in Corinth and that the enemies of the gospel might be held at bay. But today, Paul comes to, what is most assuredly, the main command he wishes to give to the Thessalonian church. It isn't new. In fact, he mentioned it less plainly in the previous letter. But it is quite important that they address the issue immediately. Please stand with me to give honor to and to focus on the Word of God as it is read. Invocation: Holy God, you demonstrated to us what it means to labor. You labored for six days to create your world and rested on the seventh day. And you declared that all you made was very good. Though we are finite and fallen, we have been given Your Spirit within us and Your Son has taught us to work hard to earn what we need. And to earn enough even to be generous and to give to others who are in need. We thank you for the example of Christ and His apostles in this. And we ask that You would reveal from Your word what it means for Christians to labor and to give and protect us from examples we should not follow. We pray this in Jesus' name, Amen. Transition: [Slide 2] “Too many Christians worship their work, work at their play, and play at their worship.” Anonymous “One of the greatest blessings of humanity is that divine law which requires men to work for their livelihood.” David Thomas [Slide 3] “No labor is servile when the Lord's approval is the paramount consideration.” Geoffrey B. Wilson “God gives every bird its food, but He does not throw it into the nest.” Josiah G. Holland Let these words prepare us for the exposition of the text this morning. I.) Godly leaders teach and demonstrate God's will for His people, but we must keep away from disorderly brothers. (6) a. [Slide 4] 6 - Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, i. What is obvious here is that this is the primary application that Paul has in mind for the Thessalonians. ii. After spending a good deal of time comforting them about the persecution they were enduring and correcting them on the teaching of the Day of the Lord, Paul turned his attention to application. iii. However, the first application was, somewhat of a softball. iv. Not in the sense that it is unimportant, but in the sense that it is not corrective. Most likely the Thessalonians were already praying for Paul and his companions and most likely they were already trying to imitate God's love and Christ's steadfastness. v. What we notice here though is that Paul's next application begins with a command. He is not asking… he is telling. vi. The tone of the letter has shifted. vii. I wouldn't say Paul is angry or irritated. But Paul is certainly becoming more forceful on the issue to which he will speak about next. viii. But notice that he doesn't command by his own authority. ix. Instead, he calls on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. x. Once again Paul enters into solidarity with them as brothers and sisters in the Lord. Paul considers Jesus Christ to be OUR Lord. Not just the evangelists' but the Thessalonian church's too. xi. But this command coming in the name of that Lord, is by His authority. xii. This only serves to further amplify the necessity of the Thessalonians following the command which he is about to give. xiii. So, what is the command? b. [Slide 5] that you keep away from every brother who walks in an unruly manner i. There are four REALLY big words in this text that we need to understand if we are going to grasp the importance of what Paul is saying. ii. The first is the verb “keep away”. 1. The word means to avoid, steer clear from, to shun, to have nothing to do with, or to stand aloof. 2. This form of the verbs is in the infinitive which completes the command of Paul. This is what Paul is commanding. To keep away. 3. This is also in the middle voice. In English we don't have middle voice. But Greek does. 4. Middle voice is an action you do that inherently has consequences, results, or benefits to yourself. It is reflexive. 5. The keeping away then, is not just an action being done for the person who is unruly, but it is also an action being done to protect yourself. 6. Keep yourself away from them… 7. Avoid like the plague lest you contract the disease- would be a rather loose paraphrase but it gets the idea across. 8. The Puritan commentator Johnathan Trapp said this, “That ye shun them as studiously as the [sailor] doth a rock or shelf.” 9. In an honor/shame culture such as this, shunning was quite effective to render results. Added to this, the church was already being gravely mistreated by those outside the church. To shun them now, after suffering together for the sake of Christ, would leave them quite alone. iii. The second word we should discuss is the noun “brother”. 1. Even though Paul is not going to discuss the person they should avoid in glowing terms, Paul remains convinced that such a person is still a brother. 2. This will feed into something we will discuss later in this passage concerning church discipline and what it means to treat someone like a tax collector and gentile while at the same time admonishing them like a brother. But we'll get to that next week in Part 2 of this sermon. 3. But it is important for us to recognize that Paul is advising avoiding these folks, but still thnks of them as believers. iv. The third word we should discuss is the participle “walks”. 1. Etymologically the word begins with a prefix which means “around” or “concerning” and ends with the verb form of the Greek word which means to walk. 2. So “to walk around” something. 3. But this isn't giving us the idea of a person who is aimlessly wandering. 4. Instead, this is a person who is circling or hovering over something. 5. In this we get the idea that this is something they live in or have made a practice of. 6. This being a participle, it is describing the character of a brother whom the Thessalonians are to avoid. 7. But what is that character and lifestyle? v. That brings us to the fourth word here which is the adverb “unruly”. 1. No doubt because of this passage and the associations of the people to whom Paul is referring, this word is translated in some versions as idle or lazy. 2. However, as we saw in 1 Thessalonians, we should not conflate these two ideas together. 3. They are certainly unruly because they are idle, but idleness is not the sum total of unruliness. 4. To be unruly is to be out of order. It is to be irregular, different, not conforming to a standard, sticking out, or independent. 5. The church is not a group of individuals it is instead a body or organization that when broken apart is less than what it was together. 6. When we are together – we are stronger, better, more alive. When we are broken apart, we are less, weaker, and more prone to temptation and despair. 7. No one in the church should try to stick out, to not conform, to rebel, or to make their own way. 8. The church should function as ONE in as many areas as possible. And you can't function as one when you are not doing what everyone else in the church is doing. You can't function as one when you are not like the rest. 9. Paul's point is that a person whose lifestyle it is to stick out and not conform, that is a person the Thessalonians should avoid. 10. You can't be a rogue operative; you can't be a maverick. You can't do you own thing. vi. But that brings us to a question… how the same must we be? Is there no room for individuality in the church? vii. Paul answers this by further defining what divides orderly from disorderly. c. [Slide 6] and not according to the tradition which they received from us. i. Although this begins with an “and” we should probably see this not as a second characteristic of the brothers that should be avoided but rather an explanation of the disorderly lifestyles of brothers that should be avoided. ii. Specifically, a person becomes disorderly or unruly when they live in such a way that is out of step with the Christian traditions that have been passed down from Christ, to His apostles in the Scriptures, and now to the church. iii. Failure to conform to what the Scriptures teach whether by explicit statement or good and necessary inference, is what Paul is saying. iv. This divides into two categories. Doctrine and practice. 1. Let me give you an example of Doctrine both explicitly stated and inferred by good and necessary conclusion when considering the whole of scripture. a. The bible explicitly tells us that God created the universe by speaking it into existence. In order to not be disorderly, every Christian MUST confess this as truth. b. The bible teaches several things that if we added them together, we must by good and necessary inference, arrive at the conclusion that God is three persons in one eternal being and essence. In order to not be disordered, you must confess the doctrine of the trinity. 2. How we live also comes down to Christian tradition. It too is stated in explicit and inferred ways. a. The bible explicitly tells us that we must honor our earthly fathers and mothers in the Lord. It even tells us why. For this is right. So much so that a child who is disobedient to their parents is excluded from the Kingdom of God. Any brother who makes a lifestyle of not honoring or obeying their parents is someone we should avoid. b. The bible teaches in several passages that it is right for Christians to submit to governing authorities because their authority has been granted from God to punish the guilty and protect the innocent. Therefore, by good and necessary inference we can conclude that Christians must endeavor to obey the traffic laws of our government. Anyone who makes a lifestyle of disobeying traffic laws should be avoided. v. But rather than just avoiding them or shunning them, shouldn't we say something to them? Shouldn't we warn them of their disorderly conduct? vi. Paul already has actually. 1. In 1 Thessalonians Paul told the Elders to admonish the unruly. He also told the church as a whole to make it their ambition to lead a quiet life and work with their hands to supply for themselves. 2. At the end of the letter Paul implored them by the Lord that they would read the letter to the whole church. 3. And so, Paul has already told the Elders to admonish these brothers. vii. So, what is different here? 1. Paul is approaching the final step of church discipline but hasn't quite gotten there yet. 2. He commands that the church keep away from these people and then he will move on to rebuke them publicly. We'll get to that public rebuke and what should happen if they continue to be unruly next week. viii. But it is instructive that Paul first addresses the danger posed on the other believers in the church concerning these disorderly people. They must be avoided to prevent the disorder from spreading. ix. Paul's priority is on the church as a whole and not on the ones being disorderly. They will be addressed and their actions rebuked – but the first priority is getting those who are still in order to avoid those who are not. x. Some have said that THE goal of church discipline is the restoration of the sinning believer. That is A goal… but it is not THE goal of church discipline. xi. Paul gives us THE goal of church discipline… and it is the purity of the church. A church purely adhering to the Christian tradition which Christ gave to His apostles. d. [Slide 7] Summary of the Point: Paul predicates the command he makes on the authority of Christ. As a godly leader he must teach God's will for His people. And in this, he issues a command directly from the throne of God and the Lord Jesus who sits at His right hand. That command is simply to not be in intimate fellowship with those who are living a lifestyle that is out of step and out of order with the Christian traditions that have been passed down from Christ to His church. The doctrines that Christ taught and the commands Christ demonstrated, should be conformed to by every single member of the church. Therefore, they should not associate themselves with those who are out of order. We too must distance ourselves from brothers and sisters who continue to live a lifestyle that is not conforming to the doctrines and commands Christ and His apostles taught and demonstrated. We must do this primarily so that we are kept safe from their disorder, but also so they may feel the isolation and return and conform. [Slide 8 (blank)] Transition: Of course we have to ask, what kind of disorderly behavior is Paul talking about? Certainly, people aren't conforming to the teaching and commands of Christ – but what specifically is happening there in Thessalonica that needs to be addressed and how should they protect themselves from becoming disorderly in the same way? II.) Godly leaders teach and demonstrate God's will for His people, so we must work hard to provide for ourselves and brothers in need. (7-10) a. [Slide 9] 7 - For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we did not act in an unruly manner among you, i. When we understand that to “keep away” from the disorderly brothers is an action we do with a benefit for ourselves, the “for” connects overtly to the command to keep away. ii. Why must we keep away for ourselves? iii. Because we might start to imitate the unruly ones. We might start to follow their example. Sin tends to spread. Like cancer in the body or worms in a bushel of apples. iv. Therefore, the Thessalonians need to keep away from and avoid these disorderly brothers because they know that they are supposed to be imitating the evangelists instead. v. And Paul, Silas, and Timothy did not give them an unruly example. vi. They not only told them what the Christian traditions were, but they believed and obeyed them also. They taught and demonstrated those traditions to the Thessalonians. vii. But how specifically were the evangelists NOT unruly? b. [Slide 10] 8 - nor did we eat anyone's bread without paying for it, i. Here we start to get to the specifics of the way in which these brothers are being unruly. ii. Up to this point Paul has spoken mostly in generalities. Disorder and lack of conformity to belief and practice. iii. But now Paul outlines how he and his companions acted among them and… how they didn't act. iv. His first example is that they did not eat anyone else's bread without paying for it. v. At this time, there was an expectation to financially support traveling preachers and prophets. vi. This tradition stretched beyond Judaism and across all faiths, even paganism. vii. Of course, this led to traveling preachers and prophets peddling nonsense or strange ideas primarily to fleece people. viii. Because of this, Paul, throughout his ministry, continued to refuse to be supported by the generosity of the city in which he was preaching. ix. His effort was to divorce the idea of paying him money for the gospel message. The gospel was already difficult enough to believe, even without a cover charge. x. And so, Paul is not talking about being rude here… he is merely pointing out that he did not take from people when he could have paid for it himself. xi. Not only that… but Paul and his companions had a great work ethic too… c. [Slide 11] but with labor and hardship we kept working night and day so that we would not be a burden to any of you; i. Paul points out that he and his companions labored not only in the giving of the gospel and the teaching of the Christian tradition, but even in earning a living for themselves while they were in Thessalonica. ii. They did this because they did not want to put financial strain on those to whom they were sharing the gospel. iii. Paul and his companions were not only hard workers but were also loving and compassionate to their brothers and sisters to whom they were ministering. iv. They did not want to strain them or burden them with financial pressure while they taught them the scriptures. v. Well, that is probably because it is ethically wrong to be financially provided for by those to whom they minister, right? d. [Slide 12] 9 - not because we do not have the authority, i. It is not ethically or morally wrong for someone who ministers to a group of people to seek to have their needs met by those to whom they minister. ii. Indeed, as Paul points out in 1 Timothy, it is good and right that an Elder who labors long in preaching and leadership should be provided for. iii. As evangelists and Paul as an apostle, he is well within his rights to ask for compensation for his labor to bring the word to the Thessalonians. iv. So, why didn't Paul do that? e. [Slide 13] but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you, so that you would imitate us. i. Paul and his companions endeavored to be hard working and compassionate teachers toward this fledgling church so that they could provide an example to follow. ii. The Thessalonians also should be both hard working and seeking to give to other believers and not take from other believers. iii. This is the example the evangelists gave and it is still one they know they should follow instead of the example of the disorderly ones. f. [Slide 14] 10 - For even when we were with you, we used to command this to you: i. Paul now reminds the Thessalonians that it was not by mere demonstration that they had received this instruction. ii. It wasn't merely the evangelist's example, although that should have been enough. iii. Instead, it was a command that they had given to them. iv. What was the command? g. [Slide 15] if anyone is not willing to work, neither let him eat. i. The word “willing” is a very important word in this command. ii. The word means to wish or be inclined or disposed to do something. iii. It does not speak of ability. iv. Paul is not saying that regardless of whether you are able to work or not, you must work or you should not eat. v. Instead, Paul is aiming at those who are not disposed to work. They aren't inclined to work. They are idle. Lazy. They are averse to hard work and earning a living. vi. Therefore, I think we could say that anyone who is able to work but doesn't would fall into this category of “unwilling”. vii. Such a person should not be allowed to eat. They should not be supported financially by anyone. The government, the church, the family. Paul commands that a person who is able to work but simply unwilling, should starve. That is proper motivation for that person to work hard for their own living. viii. What about those who are able but cannot find work? 1. If you are able to work but truly cannot get hired by someone to take care of your needs, then this command would not apply to you. 2. However, sometimes when people are not being hired it is because they are not wiling to accept a job that pays less than they would like or has them working harder than they'd like. In that case, I believe that this command would apply. At some point if you are able to work, you should take whatever job or jobs you can to provide for your needs. ix. Does this mean that retirement is unbiblical? 1. Retirement that includes the plan to live off of other people's wealth instead of living off your wealth, I would say, would fall into this category. 2. But retirement that is based on living off the wealth that you have accumulated… that fits right in to what Paul is saying here. x. The main disorderly and unruly conduct that Paul is driving at, is the ability to work coupled with the unwillingness to work and the willingness to take provisions from others when you do not truly need it. xi. We see this in 2 Timothy when Paul addresses the support of widows. What did he say there? 1. If a widow is young, she should get married and have her husband support her. 2. If a widow has family, she should get them to support her. 3. Only when a widow is truly destitute, that is when the church puts her on the list for support. xii. In the same vein, a person who is able to work… must work hard to have enough for himself and also enough to help those who are truly in need. h. [Slide 16] Summary of the Point: Again, Paul has taught and Paul has demonstrated all that he is expecting of the Thessalonian church. He has commanded them that they should work hard to provide for themselves and those who are truly in need. He demonstrated it by working hard so he could provide the Christian tradition to the Thessalonians. So not only must the Thessalonians keep away from the influence of the disorderly but they should also follow the example of Paul and his companions and work hard to provide for their needs as well as for others who are unable to care for themselves. We too must work hard and provide for ourselves and others. Conclusion: So CBC, what have we learned today that refines our beliefs and guides our lifestyles? Basics of Faith and Practice: [Slide 17] Godly leaders can say, as Paul says here, imitate me. Why can they say that? Because they are imitating Christ. Certainly, following men can turn into hero worship and lead to many catastrophes. We must be careful of that. But insofar as a man calls you to imitate him in the ways he is imitating Christ, you can go ahead and assume it is safe to imitate him. Paul demonstrated what orderly churchmanship was. He demonstrated what it meant to work hard and provide for yourself while also caring for others. And he commands the Thessalonians to do as he did. We too must obey two commands from this text. We must keep away from those who are living out of step and not setting Christlike examples, and we must instead imitate a Christlike lifestyle regarding labor by working hard and providing for ourselves so that we have enough to give to others who are truly in need. But what does this mean for us today? How can we apply this in the 21st century? 1.) [Slide 18] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must affirm that discipleship is creating others who imitate us as we imitate Christ. a. This isn't the first time we spoken of this in the study of 1 and 2 Thessalonians. b. Paul makes it very clear that his view of discipleship is essentially creating others who are like him. c. He can do this because he is imitating Christ. d. Certainly, the goal is Christlikeness. But we often get a little befuddled when we try to implement that. e. What does it mean to be like Christ? Sometimes that is difficult to answer. f. Not only that, but godless people in our day and others who have no intention of obeying what Jesus said, have often spoken about being like Jesus. Usually, they speak this way to try to pass some kind of legislation or political agenda that relies on a distorted sense of love and compassion over what is legal, wise, or best for the country. g. “Jesus would love them no matter what they choose.” “He gets us.” And other empty and trite ideas of who Jesus was without any intention to obey the other things Jesus said. h. But imitation of your mentor… imitation of a godly leader… imitation of someone whom you know loves Jesus and lives in accordance with His ways… that is much more accessible to us. i. And I think Paul knew this. j. It is highly unlikely that any Thessalonian church member had ever met Jesus. k. Paul was Jesus to them. Not in a heretical way or an idolatrous way – but the way the Thessalonians knew who Jesus was, was by observing Paul and his companions. l. Parents… the first real example of Jesus that your children will observe… is you. i. Now answer truthfully… ii. Do you want them to follow your example? Is your example one that leads them to be like Christ? Are your priorities, your passions, your pursuits… are they what Christ would prioritize, pursue, or be passionate about? m. Elders, we must be blameless and above reproach. We must be in Paul's position as being Christlike. A church lead by men who are phoning it in or living to build their own kingdoms or beating their own hobby horses – is a church that is sure to crumble. We must teach all of what Christ taught and demonstrate what it means to be like Jesus. n. Elderly in our congregation – God has preserved you to now. You have not yet been called home. What does that mean? You still have a responsibility to teach and demonstrate Christlikeness to your families, and to those in the church who are younger than you. o. All of us are called to make disciples. Which means all of us are called to imitate Christ and tell others to imitate us. p. If your example isn't worth following… then you are unruly and you need to be avoided. Don't stay there! It is time to conform to the Christian tradition. It is time to be pressed into Christ's mold. 2.) [Slide 19] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must affirm that although Christ's church is diverse, conformity to Christian tradition is not an option. a. Although Jesus calls and unites all kinds of people in His church, ultimately, He is conforming them to one image. His own. b. While we may have different skin tones, ethnicities, socio-economic positions, views on certain non-moral political issues, interests, hobbies, personalities, and priorities – ultimately, we have the same standard for faith and practice. c. That standard is the standard of the apostles… which is the standard of Christ. d. Our diversity is important. It is what gives God the most glory for this entity known as the church being united though we are so diverse. e. But there is no room for diversity in core doctrine and clear biblical commands. Doctrine and lifestyles must be brought into conformity to the Scriptures which are ultimately an explanation of the teachings and commands of Christ. f. The church won't thrive with diverse opinions on primary doctrinal issues. The church probably won't thrive with diverse opinions on a large number of secondary issues. g. We must be conformed to the Christian tradition. There is no room for novelty in doctrine or revolution in practice. h. We must keep going BACK to what the church has always taught. That will lead us to what the apostles taught. Which will lead us to what Christ taught. And the Scriptures are the road to get us there, with historical church creeds and confessions being that road's guardrails. 3.) [Slide 20] Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don't naturally do or aren't currently doing?” We must keep away from those who do not conform to Christian tradition. a. So what do we do when we find someone who is unruly? b. What do we do when people believe teachings that are new and different than something we've been taught? c. What do we do when we see people living contrary to what we've been taught to live? We must keep away from them. d. They are still a brother or sister. We aren't declaring them to be unbelievers. We aren't even treating them like unbelievers. Not yet anyway. e. But we are treating them like they are diseased. Sick. Infected. f. When someone in the family contracts a highly contagious disease, we don't disown them or kick them out of the house. But we do distance ourselves from them or take precautions when treating their illness. g. This is what Paul is commanding. We must be very cautious around professing believers who are believing or living in ways that are out of step with what the Scriptures teach. h. We should avoid them to protect ourselves, but also as an isolation exercise. When they see the rest of the church disengage from their teaching and/or lifestyle, and they find themselves on an island all alone – to a true believer, that is a HUGE red flag. i. We know novelty in doctrine is always bad. And we know that most of the time, when our lifestyle is unlike anyone else – that isn't good either. j. Separation from a disordered Christian is a warning to them… its time to get back in line and conform to what everyone else is doing. 4.) [Slide 21] Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don't naturally do or aren't currently doing?” We must work hard to provide for ourselves and those who are truly in need. a. This is the heart of the message Paul wants to get across not only to the church as a whole but more specifically those believers who are disordered. b. He has already discussed it in his first letter. But here he gets much more to the point. c. He and his companions' example was to work hard, earn what you eat, and keep burdens off of other believers. d. The goal behind this is to ensure that you are at least a neutral draw on church resources, if not a positive giver to it. e. The church in Acts is said to never have had anyone in need because they shared what they had with one another. Not by compulsion as socialism and communism teaches. It isn't forced wealth distribution. It is just as anyone had a need, the church came together to meet it. f. What does this require? g. It requires everyone working hard to earn enough to care for themselves and a little extra to help care for one another. h. If God blesses you with more, He is most likely prompting you to help even more than others. God is faithful to equip His people for what He is calling them to do. i. But when you could work and don't, or when you earn more than enough but never give to the work of the church or to the needs of other believers – you are out of order. You are failing to keep the Christian traditions. j. Some Christians believe that the tithe is a mandate in scripture. i. Since we are not Israelites, and since the New Testament never teaches it, we recognize that the strict 10% temple tax is not something that we need to observe as New Testament believers. ii. But the New Testament does teach us to give cheerfully and sacrificially to the work of the church and the needs of believers. iii. What does that mean? iv. Although the 10% temple tax is not mandated, I'm not sure we can say that the New Testament teaches us to give less. In fact, I think I could make the argument that it implies that, at least at times, we give much more than 10% of our gross income. v. This is a concept that I have found many young believers don't quite grasp. Many young believers think that by giving a few hundred dollars to the church every year, they are giving sacrificially. vi. And they would be doing just that if they only earned $5,000 that year. vii. But in reality, a few hundred dollars a year when God has given you 50 to 100 thousand dollars that year in income – it is hard to say that that giving is sacrificial. k. Let me just say I am very uncomfortable talking about this. I also want to make clear that our family is well-provided for, and I am in no way angling for a raise. l. With those two caveats, we all must understand what the Christian tradition is on labor and giving. m. Christians have been taught by Christ and His apostles, since the beginning of the church, to work hard to provide for yourself, and to give cheerfully and sacrificially to the work of the ministry and to the alleviation of believers in need. n. So how are you doing on that front? o. If you struggle to give sacrificially, or have just realized that you haven't been giving sacrificially at all… p. Perhaps, for you, 10% is a good place to start. Not as a rule or law… but as an easy entry into this concept. q. And the nice thing about 10% is that is scales to what the Lord gives you. Those with less, give less. Those with more, give more. 5.) [Slide 22] Comfort: “What comfort can we find here?” or “What peace does the Lord promise us in light of this passage of scripture?” Jesus has given gifts of godly leaders to teach and demonstrate Christlikeness. a. We live in an era of mistrust. And I don't think we are called to trust leaders unconditionally. b. But I've seen the pendulum swing both ways. c. I've seen godly pastors bullied, abused, ganged up on, belittled, ridiculed, and treated more like a church's slave than its servant leader. d. I've also seen ungodly pastors revered, followed, and obsessively supported to the point that no matter what they do wrong – everyone sees them through rose colored glasses. e. But Christian, Jesus didn't design either of these to be His church. f. He gave gifts to the church. Apostles first to get the church off on a good foundation. He gave prophets to keep the church physically safe and on the correct path in doctrine. He gave the church Shepherds in the office of the Elder to teach and spiritually care for the flock. And He gave the church evangelists to leave their gathered assembly to take the gospel message to people who have never heard. g. The purpose of these gifts was to equip the church for ministry. The church does the ministry and the leaders teach and demonstrate it. h. That should be a great comfort to us but it is also a rebuke to us who may be tempted to see the church or the Elders as something different than I have just described. 6.) [Slide 23] Evangelism: “What about this text points us to Jesus Christ, the gospel, and how we are restored?” The goal of salvation is for you to conform to the Christian tradition, not getting out of hell. a. Certainly, talking about the lake of fire and the eternal punishment for sin, is a message we need right now. b. Especially because our culture largely views God as a big soft teddy bear that doesn't judge you, and just loves you for who you are. c. God does love His creation – but that won't stop Him from justly judging all who are not made perfect in Christ. d. And that is just it… God never says anywhere that the goal of salvation is to save men from His own judgment. In fact, the Scriptures teach that the goal of salvation is first, to bring Him glory, and He does that by carving out a people who love, honor, worship, and obey Him progressively in this life and perfectly in His Kingdom. e. Christ perfectly loved, honored, worshipped, and obeyed God while He was on earth. f. He died for the sins of His people. g. He was raised to defeat death and He now has the keys to that realm. h. And He sends His Spirit to be with and help those who are His to become more and more like Him until He finally saves them in the end and perfects them for His kingdom. i. My friends, salvation isn't about getting out of hell. It is about making a people who are no longer fit to be there. A people who are holy. A people who reject the lies of sin and Satan and submit to their Lord and King, Jesus. j. Perhaps you've come to Christ to get you out of hell – but not to rule your life. k. Perhaps you've never come to Christ at all. l. Those who turn from their sin and trust in Him alone… will be saved. Which means that they will be conformed to Him. m. What will you do with this Jesus? n. Let me or another Christian know if you would like to start being conformed to Jesus today. [Slide 24 (end)] Let me close with a word of prayer from the reformer John Calvin. Almighty God, you see how your Church today is miserably torn by many conflicts. You see how there are so many traitorous ministers who continue to plague it. Help us to experience what you have promised in Scripture by your prophet: That you will be the perpetual guardian of your chosen people—people you have received and embraced so they can move ahead with courage through any conflict and emerge as conquerors. Would you also now stretch out your hand against the sin you have denounced? Reduce to nothing not only those who oppose you and your servants and your children, but also those serpents who harass and torment your church through intrigue, fraud, and other indecent means. Do this until at last we see a full triumph in your kingdom, together with Christ Jesus, our Lord and head. For it is in His name we pray this… Amen. Benediction: Now may He who is the mystery of godliness, He who appeared in a body, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, and taken up in glory; May He humble you under His mighty hand that He may lift you up in due time. Until we meet again, Grace and Peace to you.

The sermon examines the radical transformation of the early Thessalonian believers who turned from pagan idols to serve the living God. It draws a parallel between their rejection of false deities and the modern Christian's need to reject secular worldviews such as evolution, moral autonomy, and universalism. The preacher emphasizes that true conversion involves not just intellectual assent but a Spirit-empowered shift in allegiance and daily service. This change is marked by a disciple's heart that prioritizes obedience to Christ over cultural acceptance or self-righteousness. Ultimately, the message calls believers to recognize their dependence on divine revelation rather than human wisdom for true knowledge and salvation.

Send us a message!We read 1 Thessalonians 4–5 out loud and sit with Paul's straight talk about holiness, hope, and a life that actually pleases God. We wrestle with “God's will” as less of a hidden dot to find and more of a direction to live, then we end with a simple question about rejoicing, praying, and gratitude. • Paul's backstory with the Thessalonian church and why he writes with joy • God's will as holiness rather than a perfect personal roadmap • Sexual integrity as self-control and honor, not cultural rule-keeping • Brotherly love that grows “more and more” through a quiet, steady life • Working with your hands, living decently before outsiders, avoiding needless dependence • Grief with hope because of Jesus' death and resurrection • The Lord's return, the day of the Lord, and why Paul says to encourage each other • Staying alert and sober as people of the light, anchored in faith, love, and hope • Three practices named as God's will: rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in everything  At outloudbible.com, you can find free resources to help you study the Bible. And while you're there, send us a message to say hi, or start a conversation about having us at your church or event. If Outloud Bible has been a valuable part of your understanding of the Bible, please consider supporting the ministry by visiting outloudbible.com.Support the showCheck out outloudbible.com for helpful study resources, and to discover how to bring the public reading of God's word to your church, conference, retreat, or other event.

The Apostle Paul, in 2 Thessalonians 2:13-17, gives thanks to God for the Thessalonian believers, whom He chose from the beginning to salvation, through the sanctification of the Spirit and belief in the truth of the gospel of grace. This … Continue reading →

Can your faith remain steady when life feels shaken? In this message from 2 Thessalonians 1, we discover that God never promised His people a life free from hardship—but He does promise to build an unshakable faith in the middle of it. As Paul encourages the Thessalonian church, we're reminded that trials can strengthen our faith, deepen our love for others, and anchor our hope in Christ. Through every season of uncertainty, God invites us to let go of our own plans, remain close to Jesus, and grow in our understanding of His faithful character.

We are so excited to worship with you this Sunday! We'll be continuing this journey through our Set Apart series, and Pastor Scott will be speaking on the Thessalonian church, and exploring the question “what happens when an entire church lives set apart, together?” It's going to be a great Sunday!

Readiness to meet Jesus presses harder than readiness to die. Readiness for Jesus does not mean a person wants to leave children, grandchildren, and life behind, but it does mean the call of Christ would find that person ready to go. Paul tells the Thessalonian brothers that times and seasons do not need more writing, because the Father keeps that in his own hand. Jesus answers the disciples the same way in Acts 1: the kingdom timetable is not their business, but witness is their business, in Judea, Samaria, and to the end of the earth.The Thessalonian church had only been taught a short time, and the word “soon” still raised questions. Jesus will soon return, and “soon” has felt long to many people, but Christ returns every day for somebody and one day for all. The day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night, not announced, not scheduled, not put on a calendar. The thief image calls for awareness, like a house waiting for a visitor hears every noise and like a father knows what his sons have been doing even when they think he does not know.Peace and security can make the world feel too easy and too comfortable. The sinking ground in Florida, the hurricanes, the tornadoes, and the houses breaking apart remind people that the ground cannot finally be trusted. The labor pains image says the day will surely come and suddenly come, and escape will not be possible. Paul says the brothers are not in darkness, so that day should not surprise them like it surprises those who have no light.Children of light have Scripture, Jesus, and enough knowledge to live clean and ready before God. Sleep and drunkenness picture a foggy spiritual mind, a life not clear about where it stands with Christ. The breastplate of faith and love guards the heart, because the enemy attacks there. Faith is trust, trust that Scripture is God's word and trust that Jesus died for sins. The helmet of the hope of salvation guards the mind, especially when feelings, doubts, phones, and the noise of the day feed the brain with the wrong things.God has not destined his people for wrath, but for salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ. Salvation does not rest on being good, feeling saved, church-going, baptism, or family background. Christ died so that whether awake or asleep, his people might live with him. Jesus calls sinners, sick people, struggling people, and ashamed people to come to him, tell him the truth, and receive peace. Verse 11 calls the church to encourage one another and build one another up, with Scripture, prayer, testimony, and help for the person going through a hard time.

Title: A Loyal Husband Text: 2 Thessalonians 3:1-5 FCF: We often struggle trusting the promises given to us through Christ. Prop: Because Jesus is faithful to His bride, we must pray in His will and look to Him to help us live for Him. Scripture Intro: ESV [Slide 1] Turn in your bible to 2 Thessalonians chapter 3. In a moment we'll read from the English Standard Version starting in verse 1 and going through verse 5. Last time in 2 Thessalonians we saw Paul close out his teaching section with a benediction. A good word expressed toward God on behalf of the Thessalonian church. In this letter, Paul is addressing concerns of the Thessalonians primarily surrounding them being persecuted for their faith in Christ and the believing a false teaching that the Day of the Lord has already come. Paul has taken great pains to assure them that from his perspective they are truly genuine believers. He has also reminded them of things he taught them concerning the Day of the Lord and how the falling away of many professed believers and the coming of the lawless man must precede Christ's return. But again Paul expresses his confidence that they are elect of God from the beginning and chosen to obtain the glory of Christ. Therefore, they must keep holding to the Christian tradition and believe and live as they were taught. And in his closing benediction in chapter 2 he prays for that end. Today Paul will turn toward the last things he wants to say before the letter comes to a close. Please stand with me to give honor to and to focus on the Word of God as it is read. Invocation: God of love, we come to you today as the dear bride of Your beloved Son in whom You are well pleased. Because we are betrothed to Him, You are also pleased to love us as you love Him. You gave Him to save us and He has sent The Spirit to guide and keep us. You are still seeking all those for whom Christ died and You will reach them and none of them will be lost. For this, and for so much more we are ever thankful for Your love for us. May we see this in Your Word today. We pray this in our Glorious Groom's name, Amen. Transition: [Slide 2] “We are never nearer Christ than when we find ourselves lost in a holy amazement at His unspeakable love.” John Owen “Christ's love for His people is not a lip-love, from the teeth outwardly, but a real love, from the heart inwardly.” William Dyer [Slide 3] “Every day we may see some new thing in Christ. His love has neither brim nor bottom.” Samuel Rutherford “The distinguishing mark of a Christian is his confidence in the love of Christ and the yielding of his affections to Christ in return.” C.H. Spurgeon Let these words prepare our minds for the exposition of the text of scripture this morning. I.) Jesus is faithful to His bride, so we must pray for the advancement of the gospel against all opposition. (1-3a) a. [Slide 4] 1 - Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you, i. Paul begins chapter three with the word, Finally. ii. If we were to translate this literally, it would be “the rest” or “what remains.” iii. Paul used this same word in the fourth chapter of 1st Thessalonians. When we looked at that together we saw how Paul uses this word to shift to more applicational matters. iv. Up to this point, Paul's main objective has been comfort and dealing with issues the Thessalonian church is concerned about. Like how they are being persecuted and how they have come to believe that they had missed the second coming of Christ. v. Now Paul will turn to matters for which he wants to see some movement on their end. vi. Paul calling them brothers is significant because of the context. 1. Paul has straddled that line of both expressing his confidence that they have been called by God, counted worthy of His calling, elected from the beginning, and will obtain the glory of Christ – while at the same time encouraging them to stand firm and hold to their confession and the Christian tradition that was taught to them. 2. This again points to the paradoxical viewpoint of the New Testament that while a believer's SECURITY is eternally determined by God's unassailable will, a believer's ASSURANCE of that divine call and election is gained by ongoing repentance, faith, and obedience by those who are genuinely elect of God. vii. So, what is Paul's first application for the Thessalonian church? viii. Pray for us. ix. Paul desires that they be in prayer for the evangelists ministering in Corinth. Himself, Silas and Timothy. x. What specifically for their ministry there? xi. That the Word of the Lord may speed ahead or progress rapidly and be honored or glorified. xii. What does this mean? xiii. Paul is praying that more would come to Christ and that those who have come to Christ might grow in their love and obedience to Him. xiv. And Paul adds a compliment in here too. xv. That the word would spread and be honored like it was in Thessalonica. xvi. Paul really does see their church as a shining example of what should happen when the Holy Spirit comes in power to save God's elect. xvii. So much so, that he desires that it would be duplicated in Corinth. xviii. But this is not all Paul desires pray for. As the other side of the coin to this prayer request, Paul asks … b. [Slide 5] 2 - and that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men. i. When we studied in Acts 18 we saw two specific times when Paul was opposed by evil and wicked men in Corinth. ii. First, early on in the ministry there, Paul was opposed and reviled by the Jews whom he was attempting to convince that Jesus was the Messiah. iii. After this, God came to Paul in a vision and told him to continue to preach the gospel for there were many in the city that were His people and that He would protect Paul from any attack. iv. But much later Paul faced another bout of Jewish opposition when they brought him before Gallio and the tribunal of the city. v. And so, in both cases, it was the Jews who opposed and reviled Paul and his message. vi. Timing wise then, since the event with Gallio happens much later and springs up quickly, it makes most sense that Paul writes this after the initial opposition and reviling of the Jews. vii. Therefore, God promising to protect Paul for a time, is an answer to the Thessalonian's prayer that the word would go forth and that the evangelists would be delivered from wicked and evil men. viii. But Paul makes one final point about these men that I find fascinating. c. [Slide 6] For not all have faith. i. Paul draws a solid black line connecting evil and wicked men to those who do not have faith. ii. In some sense, men and women of the world are capable of doing kind and good things. Your unbelieving neighbor can mow your lawn for you as an act of kindness. iii. Your unbelieving co-worker can go get you a coffee from the break room because they thought you needed it. iv. Your right wing, republican, conservative, ultra moral Mormon friend can agree with you on literally every single issue. v. [Slide 7] But Hebrews 11:6 states that “without faith it is impossible to please God because anyone who draws near to Him must believe that He is and that He is the rewarder of those who seek Him.” vi. What is meant by this verse? vii. The only way to please God is to draw near to Him by faith. What does it mean to draw near to Him by faith? 1. First, one must believe that God is. a. But many people believe that God exists. b. Does the writer of Hebrews aim so low as to simply be a Theist. c. As long as I am not an Atheist or Agnostic then I am on the right path? d. No. i. The writer of Hebrews is talking to Jewish Christians who are tempted to go back to Judaism because they are being persecuted by Jews. ii. If they convert back to Judaism then they will stop being persecuted. iii. Both Jews and Christians believe in God. And in some sense, they believe in the same God. iv. But the writer of Hebrews insists that this shared belief in God's existence is not enough. e. Instead, we should see the statement before it as a guide. For those who wish to draw near to God. f. In Judaism, this is something that they could not really do. There was distance maintained because of sin. g. But drawing near to God is possible if you do so by faith. Faith in what? h. First that God… as revealed by Jesus Christ… exists. It is a confidence, in the character and nature of the One true God as you come to experiential knowledge through faith in Jesus Christ. i. To believe God exists and to draw near to Him is to have a devotion and love for His presence and participation with Him in every area of life through faith in Jesus Christ. j. Jesus Himself said that He and the Father are one. If we have seen Him we have seen the Father. Indeed, the only way to the Father is through Him. So to draw near to God, must be through faith in Jesus Christ. k. The God that we must believe exists, is the God whom Christ revealed. Nothing less will lead to us drawing near to God or to pleasing Him. 2. Second, faith means to believe that He is the rewarder of those who seek Him. a. To trust God is to trust Him as good, loving, generous, merciful, gracious and kind. b. God is pleased by actions done in faith because believers draw near to Him in confidence that He is good and will not cast them aside. Even if their lives crumble, they trust in God's character and goodness to them. viii. [Slide 8] So, after this little lesson about how it is impossible to please God without faith – why is what Paul says here significant? ix. Because the majority of the people whom he is calling evil and wicked… are Jews who have rejected Jesus as their Messiah. x. Friends… mankind has a sickness and it is sin. xi. And yeah, your neighbor might plow your driveway or give you coffee… xii. They may be very religious and morally upright… xiii. But if they don't have faith in Jesus Christ alone … They are wicked and they are evil. xiv. If they don't believe in the God whom Christ has revealed and believe that He rewards those who diligently seek Him… then they are wicked and evil. xv. Ghandi did a lot of wonderful great things in this world… but he was still wicked and evil and he will still be judged for not pleasing God. xvi. And to this Thessalonian church which might be tempted to abandon its faith because of persecution – Paul's words no doubt have a quiet exhortation here. xvii. The only thing keeping them from being wicked and evil… is Christ… on whom they are believing. xviii. Paul's final thought here serves as a connecting thought for both this point and the next. d. [Slide 9] 3 - But the Lord is faithful. i. Paul is asking the Thessalonians to pray for him and the other evangelists as they minister in Corinth. ii. That the gospel would go forth and be honored as it was there in their city. iii. But also, that evil and wicked men would be held at bay as they minister there. iv. In this, Paul may paint a bleak picture to what is going on in the city of Corinth. v. But he doesn't want them to think that he is without hope. vi. In fact, in contrast to the faithless men who are evil and wicked and trying to impede the gospel – Jesus is faith… full. He is full of faith. vii. Meaning He is trustworthy. He is willing that the gospel would go forward. He is able to make it so. viii. And as we've already pointed out – God will or has already revealed to Paul that he will not be harmed in Corinth because God has many of His children there who have yet to receive the gospel. ix. Jesus is faithful indeed. e. [Slide 10] Summary of the Point: The truth upon which Paul hangs the first two applications for the Thessalonians, is that Jesus… is faithful. Jesus is trustworthy. Jesus… is loyal. But loyal to whom? Jesus is loyal to His bride. Those whom God has elected from the beginning. Those whom He has called with an eternal calling. Those whom He has appointed to obtain the glory of Christ. Jesus is faithful to Paul and His companions who are preaching the gospel in Corinth. Jesus is faithful as a shepherd to those lost sheep who are His who have not yet been found Corinth. And Jesus is faithful to us. Because Jesus is faithful to His people… we must pray for the advancement of the gospel and the restraining of those who would oppose it. That God would actively prevent faithless people from undermining the work while at the same time, causing the word to run freely and be honored. We must be praying for the Kingdom to continue to spread. Transition: [Slide 11 (blank)] But what other applications can be drawn from this theological bulwark, that Jesus is faithful? II.) Jesus is faithful to His bride, so we must look to Him for help to continue to be what He wants us to be. (3-5) a. [Slide 12] 3 - But the Lord is faithful. i. I begin here again to emphasize the transitional nature of this statement. ii. Jesus is not only faithful to meet the needs of the evangelists in Corinth… but as Paul will express to them now, He is also faithful to meet the needs of their church in Thessalonica. b. [Slide 13] He will establish you and guard you against the evil one. i. Paul says with confidence that the Lord Jesus will not abandon His people. ii. He is here with us in His Spirit. He is with us to the end of the age. iii. While physically He is present in Heaven as our advocate, He is spiritually present with His church through the Holy Spirit. iv. Therefore, Paul is confident that He will establish or make firm or strengthen them. v. We must see this as spiritual strength and not physical. vi. While God is good and clothes and feeds us – many Christians have been poor, hungry, lacking shelter or clothing. The food and clothing that God promises, like the strength He promises, is primarily and mostly spiritual. vii. This life is a vapor and a shadow. If God permits us to be hungry and weak in this life – we can still trust that we will be fed and strong spiritually in this life. And we can also trust that we will be spiritually full and spiritually strong in His Kingdom. viii. But spiritual strength is not enough to face every obstacle in this life. ix. That is why Paul is also confident that Jesus will guard us against the Evil One. x. While the Greek does not have the word “one” it does have the article “the evil” xi. Often times this is used this way to indicate not an abstract idea of evil but an embodiment of evil. xii. Satan or the Devil is in view here. The evil one is our enemy. And Paul is confident that Jesus will protect us from him. xiii. Jesus told His disciples that Satan wished to sift them like wheat but that He prayed for them. xiv. Jesus is now glorified and given a position of authority in the Kingdom of God. The One who once prayed for His disciples now sits on heaven's throne. xv. He will continue to protect His people. xvi. But that isn't all Paul is confident about. c. [Slide 14] 4 - And we have confidence in the Lord about you, that you are doing and will do the things that we command. i. What is the reason that we excommunicate people from the church when they stop obeying God's clear commands in the scriptures? ii. Why are we supposed to treat them like a tax collector and gentile – meaning we treat them like they do not have faith and do not know God? iii. The underpinnings of church discipline are founded in the confidence Paul has in what truly saved people WILL BE. iv. That confidence is not rooted in their abilities or specialness – it is rooted in Christ's love and faithfulness to HIS BRIDE. v. Paul is confident that the Thessalonians are believers. That they are elect of God from the beginning. That they were elect because he witnessed the Spirit's power in bringing the gospel to them. He has said all of this in these last two letters. vi. Therefore, He is confident in the Lord Jesus that they are and will continue to live out the Christian traditions which Paul and his companions taught them. And that they will obey what else Paul will command in the rest of the letter. vii. Just because Paul commanded them to stand firm and hold fast doesn't mean he fears that they won't. He is, in fact, confident, because of Jesus' power in them… that they WILL. viii. The reason we treat professed believers like unbelievers when they stop obeying God – is because we have confidence that by Jesus' power in us – we can, by faith, please God. We can, by faith, continue to obey Him. ix. So, when a professed believer stops obeying… Jesus didn't fail. It can only be the person that has failed. In other words – we have no confidence that they have Jesus. Because with Jesus – we have confidence in obedience. d. [Slide 15] 5 - May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ. i. Paul uses a benediction like construction here to close out this first note of application. ii. It is interesting that even though he has sought for the Thessalonians to pray for him and his companions, Paul can't help being an encouragement to and praying for them before he closes out his request for prayer for himself. iii. We see the pastoral and humble nature of Paul to put them… even above himself. iv. He asks Jesus to reveal The Love of God and the Steadfastness of Christ. v. It is difficult to know whether Paul means God's love for them or their love for God. Both are possible interpretations of the Greek. The same is true for the steadfastness of Christ. But there is a third option which has Paul playing off the ambiguity in Greek to mean both. vi. Paul asks that Jesus turn their hearts to behold God's love for them so that they can go and love like Him. vii. Paul asks that Jesus turn their hearts to behold His own faithfulness and steadfastness for them so that they can go and be steadfast and faithful to and for Him. e. [Slide 16] Summary of the Point: And so Paul's truth point endures. Jesus is faithful. Jesus is loyal to His bride. He loves them. He endured great humiliation and agony for them. He will establish us. He will guard us against our enemies. When we get a real glimpse at the love of God and the steadfastness of Christ, we can understand that Jesus is, indeed, faithful, loyal to His people. So, what must we do? We must love Him and others like He loves us. And we must endure in steadfastness for Him. We must continue to live for Him. Looking to His faithfulness and His provision enables us to continue to be what He wants us to be. Conclusion: So what have we learned today CBC, that refines our beliefs and guides our lifestyles? Basics of Faith and Practice: [Slide 17] Jesus is faithful. Jesus is trustworthy. Jesus is loyal to His people. That… is… huge. When compared to other faiths, many gods and messiahs would have their followers die for them. But our Savior is different. Our Savior is faithful and loyal to His people. God has chosen us in Christ before the world began and He will keep us and uphold us until the world ends. That is our God. Jesus' faithfulness pushes us to do two things. First, we must pray for the advancement of the gospel which also includes the restraint of the forces that oppose it. Second, we must look to His loyal love, and steadfastness toward us so that we can continue to be what He wants us to be. He will help us, so we must keep going. But what does this mean for us in our daily walk? How do these thoughts impact us? 1.) [Slide 18] Comfort: “What comfort can we find here?” or “What peace does the Lord promise us in light of this passage of scripture?” Jesus is faithful to His bride. a. Not only is this truth we must confess, but it is also a glorious and abundantly comforting promise. b. Like a good husband, King Jesus is faithful and loyal to His bride. c. From heaven He sought her. He bought her with His blood. He rose again to bring her life. He sits in heaven to advocate for her. And one day He will return to get her and take her to a place He has prepared for her. d. Jesus is faithful to His bride. He is a loyal and loving husband. e. And that, my friends, is a great comfort indeed. f. Because our Savior is faithful… we must also affirm… 2.) [Slide 19] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must affirm that Jesus will establish us and guard us from the Evil One. a. Faithful Jesus has sent His Spirit to bring comfort, give guidance, and prepare us for that future Kingdom. b. As a bride purchased from the slums of death, enslaved to sin, and children of wrath – we must be taught to reign with Him in a new Kingdom. c. So, we must be refined. But He is faithful to us. He will make sure that His bride is ready for the wedding feast. d. If we are in Christ, we are a new creation. Old has gone and new has come. e. He will continue to establish us and guard us from the forces of darkness. f. This world is full of devils. Wicked men and ancient evils that oppose Him and His coming kingdom. But He has already dealt them a death blow. His Kingdom is coming and now is. And He has firmly placed us in this world once dominated by sin and death and now we bear His light to the nations. g. As His bride He did not leave us to fend for ourselves. He will protect and He will make sure we are firmly rooted in the truth. 3.) [Slide 20] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must affirm that Jesus will enable us to continue to obey the commands of God. a. He will give us grace to help us live each day for His glory. b. Just as He will not leave us unstable and unprotected, so also He will not leave us in our weakness. c. Indeed, in our weakness He is strong. d. We live on the constant supply from His gracious hands. e. He is the vine and we are the branches – our very life is drawn from Him. f. He is the bread and we must eat Him to live. g. He is the Shepherd and we the sheep depend on Him for everything. h. He is the way and we are the pilgrims who follow His path. i. He is the truth and we are the seekers who trust His words. j. He is the life and we are the living – drawing breath from Him. k. Without Him we are nothing. And without Him we cannot hope to be what He commands us to be. l. But remember… my friends… Jesus is faithful. He is loyal. m. He will enable us to keep obeying. To keep repenting. To keep following. To keep trusting. 4.) [Slide 21] Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don't naturally do or aren't currently doing?” We must look to God's love and Christ's steadfastness so we may love like God and be steadfast like Christ. a. Paul's prayer ends by asking faithful Jesus to turn our hearts toward God's love and His own steadfastness. b. Not so that we may experience comfort alone. But so we might also imitate our Lord and God. c. That we might love like He loves us. i. To love God and to love others is the heart of all the law and the prophets. ii. To love other members of the body of Christ as He loved us is to obey the law of Christ, a new command which He demonstrated. iii. But the scriptures teach us that we love because He first loved us. iv. Not only is this a chronological truth – but it is also a didactic truth. We cannot love first, not only because we are unwilling but also because we are unable. We are ignorant of the love God desires we have. v. It is only when we observe Christ's love for us that we can love one another the way the Lord Jesus desires us to love each other. vi. We can only love God in the way in which He has demonstrated and prescribed to us. d. That we might also be steadfast like Christ. i. We don't have a high priest who was ignorant to our sufferings. ii. He endured temptations and trials in every way that we have. iii. He has experienced everything we have and yet He did not sin. iv. He was a pure sacrifice, a priest who did not need to offer sacrifices for Himself. v. He can sympathize with our weaknesses. vi. He endured the cross, despising the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of God. vii. He walked the pilgrim path already. viii. He has made straight the path for us. ix. He has taken the weight of the yoke so that we might enter it with Him – and bear it up without fear of failing. x. My friends… Jesus is faithful! He is steadfast! xi. And that demonstrates for us how we must also be steadfast. We must endure. We must stand firm in what we have been taught as the gospel of Jesus and we must hold to the Christian tradition of faith and practice. xii. We seek no new revelation, no new interpretation, no new system, no new philosophy. xiii. Instead, we strive to go back… to go back to what the apostles taught. What did they receive from Christ. What is revealed in His word by explicit statement or by good and necessary inference? To this we hold tightly as we endure to the end. xiv. And Christ, our King, is our example. 5.) [Slide 22] Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don't naturally do or aren't currently doing?” We must pray for the advancement of the gospel and the hindering of all who would oppose it. a. Because Jesus is faithful… b. He will not let even one of the sheep which the Father has given to Him to be lost. c. He will seek and save them all. d. He won't let the enemies of the gospel keep any of His elect from coming home. e. So to pray for this… is to pray in the will of God. God will do this – so we should pray for it. f. As we've seen several times in the study of these two letters – knowing God desires to or will do something, doesn't mean that to pray for it we are doubting Him. He tells us to pray in His will. So of all things we should pray for… it is the things that He has revealed will be. g. His word will not return to Him without accomplishing the purpose for which it was sent. h. The Kingdom of this world will not prevail against the Kingdom of Christ. i. We know this. j. So we must pray for it. k. We pray in faith – not in doubt. We pray knowing and trusting that it will be. l. We can pray that locally for Columbus Township. m. More broadly for our state or for our country. n. And even for the whole world. o. We trust that Christ will save His sheep which are lost. Because He has said that He won't lose even one of them. p. And then we go out and we share the gospel with those who are lost and perishing. Why? Because God might use us… to give the gospel as He wakes them up to receive it. 6.) [Slide 23] Evangelism: “What about this text points us to Jesus Christ, the gospel, and how we are restored?” God will send His Word and restrain its opponents. a. The Kingdoms of this world are becoming the Kingdom of Christ. Not in a political sense. Not in a Christian nationalism sense. Not in a one world government sense. b. But in a spiritual sense. c. The gospel is global. It is a Kingdom without borders, without language, without ethnic commonality, without a country affiliation. d. It is a Kingdom that awaits the King to return and consummate its reign. e. That Kingdom is here… and that King is coming. f. Where will you be when He returns? g. What will you do with Jesus Christ? h. You have seen today how He is a faithful husband to His bride. i. Are you still living in the slums of death? j. Are you still enslaved to your sins? Do you even see the prison bars? Or do you still love your sin? k. Have you grown tired of your murderous father Satan, who leads you to the same wrath he has earned? l. Will you not turn from your sin and trust Jesus as your Savior and as your King? m. Will you not follow in His steps? n. If you wish to follow Him… love Him… serve Him… talk to someone you know is a Christian after the service. They will tell you the next steps. [Slide 24 (end)] Let me close in a prayer by the early church father Venantius, an Italian bishop and hymn writer who lived from AD 530 to AD 609. Christ Jesus, you are the Savior of the world, our merciful creator and redeemer, the only offspring from the Godhead of the Father. Self-existing Word, you are flowing from the heart of God, and powerful from the mouth of your Father, equal to him, of one mind with him, his fellow, of the same age with the Father, from whom at first the world came to be. You suspend the skies and heap together the soil. You pour forth the seas, which frame all the lands as they flourish. When you saw our trouble, you became one of us, to rescue us. You were willing not only to be born with a body, but you became flesh, enduring to be born and to die. You endure funeral rites—you, the author of life and framer of the world! You enter the path of death, in giving the aid of salvation. The gloomy chains of the hellish law yielded, and chaos feared to be pressed by the presence of the light. Darkness perishes, put to flight by your brightness. The thick blanket of eternal night falls away. Restore the promised pledge, O power of good! The third day has returned; arise, Buried One. It is not proper that your body should lie in the lowly grave. Worthless stone should not hold in the ransom of the world, or cover him in whose fist all things are enclosed. Take away the linen clothes, leave them in the tomb. You are enough for us, and without you there is nothing. Escape the chains of the evil prison and return to the upper regions. Let us see your face again, that the world may see the light. Give back the day, which flees from us at your death. You return, holy conqueror! The ruler of the lower regions, who insatiably opens his hollow jaws, becomes your prey. The Lamb pulls his sheep from the jaws of the wolf. You rescue uncounted people from the prison of death, and they follow their leader to freedom. As a warrior you earn back trophies for heaven. You have restored us from chaos and punishment, given new life to those whom death might seek. You fill your barns with an abundant harvest. Look at your shining triumph, sacred King! We step forth from the bright waves, cleansed and wearing white. May this people, free from stain, be strengthened in your arms, for it is in Jesus' name we pray this, Amen! Benediction: May the Lord show kindness to you; May the Lord grant each of you rest; May those who dwell in your house be blessed; May they ever be praising the Lord. Until we meet again, Grace and Peace to you.

Send us a message!We read 1 Thessalonians 1–3 and listen to Paul's relief when he learns the Thessalonian believers are still standing strong under persecution. We connect Paul's long-distance concern to our own relationships and remember that God, not us, brings real spiritual growth. • Paul's rushed departure from Thessalonica and why it worries him • Encouragement for new believers enduring pressure and affliction • The Thessalonians' faith, love, and hope as visible fruit • Paul's ministry integrity, refusing flattery, greed, and people pleasing • Gentle spiritual parenting, sharing the gospel and our lives • Timothy's role in strengthening faith when Paul cannot be present • Letting go of the pressure to control someone else's growth  At outloudbible.com, you can find free resources to help you study the Bible. And while you're there, send us a message to say hi, or start a conversation about having us at your church or event. If Outloud Bible has been a valuable part of your understanding of the Bible, please consider supporting the ministry by visiting outloudbible.com.Support the showCheck out outloudbible.com for helpful study resources, and to discover how to bring the public reading of God's word to your church, conference, retreat, or other event.

Paul and his apostolic band's letter to the Thessalonian church begins with a thanksgiving-filled recounting of God's saving work in their lives. Though their initial time of ministry to the Thessalonians was cut short, Paul gives thanks for their powerful conversion, their perseverance in faith through persecution, and witness to Jesus. Their faith, love, and hope in Jesus are sure signs that they are truly loved and chosen by God. The opening chapter of this letter challenges us to model the apostles in remembering first the grace of God in each others' lives with thanksgiving to God and to model the Thessalonians in living out our faith in Jesus in real love for one another without giving the excuse of being to immature or lacking in knowledge to serve others and bear witness to Jesus.

This message focuses on how the early Christian church in Thessalonica serves as a timeless example of a congregation faithfully proclaiming the gospel. Drawing from Paul's first letter to the Thessalonians and the historical context of Acts 17, the sermon details how the Thessalonian believers embraced the word of God with both joy and affliction, ultimately spreading their faith so thoroughly throughout Greece that they effectively fulfilled the evangelistic work in their region on behalf of the apostles. The sermon emphasizes that the gospel remains just as powerful today, and it concludes with a practical call to action, encouraging modern believers to be active, Spirit-led witnesses by intentionally utilizing everyday opportunities, personal hospitality, and gentle, respectful dialogue to share the message of Christ.

In 1 Thessalonians 3:6–10, Paul rejoices over the faith of the Thessalonian believers. This passage demonstrates how Christian fellowship brings comfort, encouragement, joy, thanksgiving, and prayer to all involved. Yet these benefits are not produced by community itself, but by the shared life of Christ, because fellowship is only profitable when believers are living by faith in Him. Join Kelly as he explores God's design for His people to assemble together.www.instagram.com/thehishillpodcast/www.hishill.orgkelly@hishill.org

Jeff Rowland walks through 2 Thessalonians with one clear focus, why a young church got shaken so fast. In this episode of The Smith and Rowland Show, we look at Paul's letter to the Thessalonians and trace the fear, pressure, and false message that caused real confusion. The teaching follows the passage step by step, using Acts 17 and both Thessalonian letters to show the setting, the urgency, and the difference between the rapture and the day of the Lord. Jeff makes a strong case for reading prophecy with context, not panic. He contrasts street-level reading with a wider view of Scripture, then shows how Paul taught new believers about Christ's return, the gathering of the saints, and the coming day of the Lord. That wider view matters, because a forged word, a false report, or a half-read verse can shake believers who are already under pressure. This message is practical for anyone who wants to understand 1 and 2 Thessalonians, end-times teaching, and how to keep a steady mind when fear rises. It also gives a clear reminder that Scripture interprets Scripture, and that the whole counsel of God gives believers the frame they need. If you want a careful, Bible-based look at Thessalonica, prophecy, persecution, and the hope of Christ's return, this conversation is for you. Watch, listen, and hold onto the context. #TheSmithAndRowlandShow #JeffRowland #Thessalonians #BibleTeaching #EndTimesTeaching

In this sermon from 1 Thessalonians 5, Karl Ihfe challenges believers to stop drifting through their faith and start living with intentional purpose. Drawing on Paul's closing commands to the Thessalonian church, Karl unpacks what purposeful faith looks like in everyday life — investing in people, staying connected to God, and making room for the Holy Spirit. Just as no one stumbles into a great marriage or deep friendship, no one drifts into spiritual maturity — it has to be cultivated on purpose. https://bwaychurch.org  

This sermon emphasizes that following Jesus and sharing the Gospel will often bring spiritual opposition, but believers are called to remain faithful, stand strong, and trust in God's authority over every attack of the enemy. Through Paul's encouragement to the Thessalonian church, the message highlights the importance of loving the church, supporting one another, staying rooted in faith, and building strong Christian community through accountability and encouragement. Ultimately, a faithful church becomes a blessing and comfort to others by loving God deeply, loving people well, sharing the Gospel boldly, and growing in holiness and unity through Christ.

Paul celebrates the Thessalonian believers because they didn't just hear Scripture—they embraced it as God's own voice, and it began transforming their lives from the inside out. Pastor Bill ties this to his own ministry, saying that the people shaped by God's Word—their faith, growth, and perseverance—are his joy and crown before Jesus, just as the Thessalonians were Paul's.

Paul celebrates the Thessalonian believers because they didn't just hear Scripture—they embraced it as God's own voice, and it began transforming their lives from the inside out. Pastor Bill ties this to his own ministry, saying that the people shaped by God's Word—their faith, growth, and perseverance—are his joy and crown before Jesus, just as the Thessalonians were Paul's.

The central message of this sermon is that the gospel, when received as the true Word of God, transforms lives and produces enduring faith that withstands persecution, as exemplified by the Thessalonian church. Paul, writing from the perspective of a former persecutor of the church, affirms that the gospel's divine origin is confirmed by its transformative power and the believers' willingness to suffer for Christ, mirroring the persecution faced by the early church in Judea. The sermon emphasizes that Paul's condemnation of unbelieving Judaism is not rooted in ethnic hatred but in the spiritual opposition to God's redemptive plan, while affirming that God's mercy remains open to all, including Jews, as evidenced by Paul's own conversion and his hope for Israel's future restoration. The preacher calls the church to reject both anti-Semitism and triumphalism, recognizing that salvation is by grace alone, and urges believers to pray for the conversion of all people groups, trusting in the gospel's power to transform even the most hardened hearts.

Hello Friends! I love to hear from you! Please send me a text message by clicking on this link! Blessings to You! In this episode, Dr. Jori discusses with her listeners  Paul's exhortation to the Thessalonian believers to encourage and build up one another. Scripture References: 1 Thessalonians 5:11; 1 Thessalonians 1:1-2; Acts 9,22,26; Acts 17:1-9; 1 Thessalonians 1:3-10; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:11 Scripture translation used is the NASB “Scripture quotations taken from the NASB (New American Standard Bible) Copyright 1971, 1995, 2020 (only use the last year corresponding to the edition quoted) by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.Lockman.org”CHECK OUT DR. JORI'S NEW PODCAST- The First Love ProjectHere is the video introducing the podcast on You Tube-https://youtu.be/PhFY1moDDmsHERE IS A LINK TO THE YOUTUBE PLAYLIST FOR FIRST LOVE PROJECThttps://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdaujk1npuKR0BLSkTlKyxmuxavrZQHM6&si=dC10K4Qdh0xMKElU FIND DR. JORI ON OTHER PLATFORMS https://linktr.ee/drjorishaffer DAILY MUSICAL DEVOTIONAL BY THE WORSHIP INITIATIVE:Text SING to 79316CHECK OUT THE DWELL AUDIO BIBLE APP:Click this link for my unique referral code.  I use this frequently. Such a wonderful audio bible app. https://dwellapp.io/aff?ref=jorishafferBIBLE STUDY TOOLS DR. JORI USES:Note: These contain  Amazon affiliate links, meaning I get a commission, at no extra cost to you,  if you decide to make a purchase through my links.Here is a link to some of my favorite bible study tools on Amazon:https://geni.us/cHtrfEMr. Pen Bible Journaling Kitshttps://lvnta.com/lv_PTrHSCogbRim4yhEDnhttps://lvnta.com/lv_mkaMOuGe6m4oHR88uqhttps://lvnta.com/lv_dgvsxOc99t663A628z BOOKS OF BIBLE COLOR CHARTI made this chart as a helpful tool for grouping the collections of books or letters  in the Holy Bible.  The colors in the different sections are the ones that I use in my journals.  Books of Bible Chart (color) (4).pdf - Google Drive    LOOKING TO RETAIN MORE OF WHAT YOUR PASTOR IS TEACHING?              CHECK OUT DR. JORI'S SERMON REFLECTION JOURNALS! Sermon Notes, Reflections and Applications Journal/Notebooks by Dr. Jori. Click the links below to be directed to amazon.com for purchase. Or search “Dr. Jori Shaffer” on Amazon to bring these up.  https://amzn.to/418LfRshttps://amzn.to/41862EyHere is a brief YouTube video that tells about the Journal/Notebooks as well:https://youtu.be/aXpQNYUEzds   Email: awordforthisday@gmail.comPodcast website:  https://awordforthisday.buzzsprout.com Support the show

We're beginning Paul's second letter to the Thessalonian church today, and in this letter Paul speaks a good deal about judgment and the afterlife. The church at Thessalonica was in the midst of suffering hardship and persecution, but Paul encourages them by reminding that persevering through such trials only brings further assurance that they have been counted worthy of God's kingdom. Those who don't obey the gospel of the Lord Jesus will pay the penalty of eternal destruction. Finally, if the church hears rumors that the day of the Lord has already come, they need not worry, for Paul says that day will not come until the man of lawlessness is revealed. Those who delight in unrighteousness will be fooled by this figure and will be condemned by God. :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by the Christian Standard Biblefacebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org

Maranatha: Our Lord is Coming! The Rapture of the Church    In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. (John 14:1-3) The scene is etched forever in the sacred record of Scripture. It is the night of betrayal. The Passover supper has been eaten. The traitor has gone out into the darkness. The eleven remaining disciples sit in stunned silence as the weight of impending loss presses upon their souls.    Their Master has spoken plainly of His departure. He has washed their feet. He has given them the new commandment of love. And now, with the shadow of Gethsemane already falling across His face, the Lord Jesus Christ turns to address the deepest fear in their hearts. He does not offer vague religious platitudes. He does not speak in the language of uncertainty. Instead, He utters words that carry the full force of divine certainty, words that have echoed down through two thousand years of church history as the unbreakable promise of His personal return.   Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.   These verses stand as the cornerstone of the doctrine of the Rapture of the church, the blessed hope that has sustained persecuted saints, comforted grieving families, and ignited holy urgency in every generation of believers. Yet the full power of this promise is often missed in English translation.    The blazing heart of the passage lies in the Greek construction of the words “I will come again,” and it is there that the exposition must linger with scholarly precision and devotional weight. The verb translated “I will come again” is the present indicative active of the Greek word erchomai—literally, “I am coming.” It is not the simple future tense that one might expect for a distant event.  It is the present tense employed in a manner called the futuristic present tense. This is no grammatical accident. It is a deliberate choice by the Holy Spirit through the pen of the apostle John.    In classical and Koine Greek, the present tense can be used to describe a future action when that action is viewed by the speaker as so certain, so inevitable, and so imminent that it is as good as already unfolding before the eyes. The futuristic present tense does not weaken the promise; it intensifies it. It lifts the event out of the realm of mere prediction and plants it squarely in the realm of divine declaration. Jesus does not say, “I might come someday if conditions allow.”  He declares with the full authority of the Son of God, “I am coming.” The present tense shouts certainty. It breathes imminence.    It carries the weight of a future so fixed in the eternal counsels of the Godhead that the Speaker can speak of it as already in motion.   This futuristic present is not unique to this verse, but its placement here is profound.    The same construction appears elsewhere in the Gospel of John when Jesus describes events that are absolutely assured in the divine plan. The grammar itself becomes a theological hammer, driving home the truth that the return of Christ for His own is not a distant possibility but a present reality in the mind of the Savior.    He is even now, from the vantage point of eternity, in the act of coming. The promise is so certain that the tense of the verb collapses the future into the present. This is the grammatical foundation upon which the entire doctrine of the Rapture rests. The Rapture is not an afterthought in the plan of God.        It is the next great event on the divine calendar for the church of Jesus Christ, an event so fixed and so near that the Lord Himself can announce it in the present tense: “I am coming.”   The Rapture of the church is the personal, visible, and audible return of the Lord Jesus Christ in the clouds to receive unto Himself every believer, both living and dead, and to take them to the place He has prepared in the Father's house. It is distinct from the Second Coming, which will occur at the end of the Tribulation when Christ returns to earth in power and great glory to judge the nations and establish His millennial kingdom.  The Rapture is the moment when the Bridegroom comes for His bride before the wrath of the Lamb is poured out upon a Christ-rejecting world. It is sudden. It is secret to the world but glorious to the saints.    It is the fulfillment of the promise given in the Upper Room, and it stands as the great hope of every blood-bought child of God.   No passage of Scripture unfolds this event with greater clarity and comfort than the words of the apostle Paul in First Thessalonians chapter four, verses thirteen through eighteen.    These verses were written by divine revelation to correct the ignorance of the Thessalonian believers concerning those who had died in Christ. The apostle writes: But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.   Consider the weight of each phrase. The apostle begins by lifting the veil of ignorance. Death is not the end for the believer; it is merely sleep for the body while the spirit is present with the Lord.    The sorrow of the Thessalonian Christians is real, but it is not hopeless sorrow. It is sorrow anchored in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Because He died and rose, those who sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him. The dead in Christ are not left behind. They will not miss the Rapture.    Their spirits, already in the presence of the Lord, will be reunited with their resurrected bodies at this moment.   Then comes the heart of the revelation: “For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord.” This is not human speculation. This is not apostolic opinion. This is direct revelation from the ascended Christ Himself.  The Lord Himself shall descend from heaven. Notice the personal emphasis. It is not an angel. It is not a representative.    The Lord Himself— the same Jesus who walked the shores of Galilee, who hung upon the cross, who burst from the tomb, who ascended from the Mount of Olives—He Himself shall descend. And He shall descend with a shout.    The Greek word for “shout” is keleusma, a military command, a royal summons, a cry of authority that will pierce the heavens and shake the graves.    Accompanying that shout will be the voice of the archangel and the trump of God. The trumpet does not signal judgment here; it signals assembly. It is the signal for the final gathering of the redeemed.   The sequence is precise and powerful. The dead in Christ shall rise first. Their bodies, sown in corruption, will be raised in incorruption.    The graves will surrender their prey. Then—and only then—we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them. The word “caught up” is the Greek harpazo, a word that means to seize, to snatch away by force, to carry off suddenly. It is the same word used in Acts 8:39 when the Spirit caught away Philip, and in Revelation 12:5 when the man child is caught up to God.    It pictures a violent, irresistible removal from this earth. No believer will be left behind. No one who has trusted Christ will miss this moment. Living and resurrected saints will be caught up together in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. The meeting place is not on the earth. It is in the air, in the clouds, the very atmosphere where the Lord will receive His own unto Himself exactly as He promised in John 14:3.   And then the final, glorious declaration: “and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” Not for a thousand years. Not for a million years. Forever. The Rapture is not a temporary event.    It is the beginning of an eternal union. The bride will be taken to the place prepared in the Father's house, and there she will remain with her Bridegroom throughout the ages of ages. This is the comfort with which the apostle commands believers to comfort one another. It is not a doctrine for debate. It is a doctrine for consolation in the face of death and for courage in the face of life.   The same apostle who received this revelation also unfolds the mystery of the bodily change that will occur at the Rapture.      In First Corinthians chapter fifteen, verses fifty-one and fifty-two, he writes: Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.   This is the mystery that was hidden in ages past but is now revealed. Not every believer will die. There will be a generation of Christians alive at the moment of the Rapture. Those believers will not sleep; they will be changed.      The change will be instantaneous—“in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.” The Greek word for “moment” is atomos, from which we derive the English word “atom.”    It means an indivisible unit of time, the smallest possible fragment of a second. Faster than the eye can blink, faster than the mind can comprehend, the transformation will occur.  The corruptible will put on incorruption. The mortal will put on immortality. The bodies that have groaned under the weight of sin and sickness will be glorified, conformed to the image of the risen Christ.    The trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised, and the living will be changed. This is the power of the Rapture. It is not a gradual process. It is a sudden, sovereign act of God that will leave the world stunned and the saints transported.   The early church lived in the constant expectation of this event. They faced persecution, imprisonment, and death with the cry of “Maranatha” upon their lips. That single Aramaic word, preserved for us in First Corinthians chapter sixteen, verse twenty-two, carries the heartbeat of New Testament Christianity: If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha.   “Maranatha” is not a curse. It is a prayer. It is a declaration. It means “Our Lord, come!” or more literally, “The Lord is coming!”    The persecuted believers of the first century did not merely believe in the return of Christ as a distant doctrine. They cried out for it as the solution to every trial. They lived every day with the expectation that before the sun set, the trumpet might sound and the Lord might appear. That same expectant cry has been the distinguishing mark of every faithful generation since. The futuristic present of John 14:3 fueled their hope. Jesus is not merely going to come.    He is coming. The present tense makes the future certain and the certain future near. Additional passages of Scripture reinforce this truth with unyielding clarity. The apostle Paul describes the Rapture as the believer's “blessed hope” in Titus chapter two, verse thirteen: Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. It is not the appearing of wrath. It is the appearing of the great God and our Savior. It is blessed because it delivers the church from the hour of trial that is coming upon the whole world.    It is glorious because it reveals Christ in His full majesty to those who love Him.   The apostle also writes in Philippians chapter three, verses twenty and twenty-one: For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.   The word “conversation” means citizenship.    The believer's true home is in heaven, and from that heavenly realm the Savior is expected at any moment. The transformation described here is the same as that in First Corinthians fifteen. The vile body—literally the body of humiliation—will be fashioned like unto His glorious body.  The power that will accomplish this is the same power that will one day subdue all things under His feet. Nothing is too hard for the One who spoke the universe into existence.   The doctrine of the Rapture is further confirmed in the closing words of the New Testament.    In Revelation chapter twenty-two, verse twenty, the ascended Lord Himself declares:   He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. And the response of the apostle is immediate and fervent: Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.   Once again the language of certainty and imminence rings out. “Surely I come quickly.”    The same Lord who used the futuristic present in the Upper Room now seals the entire canon of Scripture with the promise of His soon return.   This constellation of biblical texts forms an unbreakable chain of truth. The futuristic present of John 14:3 is the grammatical foundation.    The detailed revelation of First Thessalonians four is the doctrinal exposition. The mystery of First Corinthians fifteen is the physiological description. The cry of Maranatha is the devotional response. The blessed hope of Titus two is the purifying motivation. The citizenship of Philippians three is the practical orientation. And the final prayer of Revelation twenty-two is the expectant climax.   Taken together, these passages challenge every believer to live in the white-hot expectancy of the Lord's return. The Rapture is not a doctrine to be debated in academic halls while life drifts on in complacency. It is a command to holiness.  The apostle John makes this explicit in First John chapter three, verses two and three: Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.   The hope of seeing Christ and being made like Him is not an abstract idea. It is a sanctifying force. The one who truly believes that Jesus may come at any moment will not toy with sin. He will not waste his days on the trivial and the temporal. He will purify his life with the same purity that characterizes the Lord Himself.    Expectancy produces urgency. It produces separation from the world. It produces devotion to the Word. It produces zeal for the gospel. It produces love for the brethren.  It produces a life lived with eyes fixed on the eastern sky.   The early church understood this. They did not build elaborate systems of prophecy to delay the return of Christ. They did not resign themselves to the idea that the Rapture was for some future generation. They lived as though today could be the day. That same spirit must characterize every generation of believers until the trumpet sounds.    The futuristic present tense in John 14:3 is not a curious footnote for Greek students.  It is a divine declaration that resounds through the corridors of time: “I am coming.” The Lord is coming. Maranatha.    The Bridegroom is on the way.   The Rapture will be a moment of indescribable glory. In one atom of time the graves of the righteous dead will burst open. Bodies long decayed will be reconstituted in splendor. The living saints will feel the sudden surge of immortal power coursing through their veins. Then, together, they will be caught up. The clouds will become their chariot. The air will become the meeting place.  The Lord Himself will receive them. No more sorrow. No more pain. No more death.    Only the eternal embrace of the One who loved them and gave Himself for them. The place prepared in the Father's house will at last be occupied by the redeemed of all ages.    The marriage supper of the Lamb will begin. The church will be presented faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy.   Until that day, the Scriptures call every follower of Christ to live in the light of this imminence. The doctrine of the Rapture is not an escape clause for the lazy. It is a summons to vigilance. It is a call to watchfulness.    It is a mandate to occupy until He comes.    The believer who has fixed his hope on the appearing of Christ will order his life accordingly. He will speak the truth in love. He will labor while it is day. He will warn the wicked. He will strengthen the weak. He will lift up the hands that hang down. He will keep his garments unspotted from the world.  He will cry out with the saints of old, “Maranatha—Our Lord, come!”   The futuristic present tense of John 14:3 still echoes across the centuries. Jesus is not planning to come. He is coming.    The grammar itself testifies to the certainty. The supporting texts confirm the details. The early church embodied the expectancy. And the Holy Spirit today stirs the hearts of all who will listen with the same urgent cry: the Lord is coming. Maranatha. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.  The promise stands. The place is prepared. The trumpet is ready. The Bridegroom is at the door.   Let this truth sink deep into the soul. Let it shape every decision. Let it fuel every act of obedience. Let it purify every motive. The Lord Himself shall descend. The dead in Christ shall rise.    The living shall be changed. The redeemed shall be caught up. And so shall we ever be with the Lord. This is the Rapture. This is the blessed hope.    This is the promise of John 14:1-3, sealed by the futuristic present tense and proclaimed by the infallible Word of God.    Maranatha. Our Lord is coming. Amen.

At the end of our last reading, Paul called the Thessalonian church his joy and his crown of boasting. As we pick up today's reading, Paul is writing to the church at Thessalonica about the history and that he has with the believers in that church. His tone of brotherly affection and longing continues in today's reading, as he recounts sending Timothy to strengthen and encourage the church while he was stuck in Athens. He continues by encouraging the church to keep away from sexual immorality, to continue faithful work in the bonds of brotherhood, and to not grieve as the rest of the world does when a fellow believer dies, for there is hope beyond death for the one who trust in Christ. :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by the Christian Standard Biblefacebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org

Audio Transcript Today. And I’m going to be preaching a message from the Bible in order that we would hear God speak to us. So the passage that we’re going to be studying is First Thessalonians. So if you have a Bible, go ahead and open up to the Burke, the book of first Thessalonians. It’s like right in the middle of the New Testament. So there’s Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and there’s first and second Philistines, Thessalonians. And if you don’t have a Bible, there should be some blue Bibles in, around on the chairs. You can grab one of those and open up. Because I’m just going to be reading through this passage verse by verse as I preach through it. So first Thessalonians, chapter 5. I’ll be reading verses 1 through 11. Here’s what the word of the Lord has for us today. Says now, concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying there is peace and security, then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman. And they will not escape. But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all children of light, children of the day. And we are not of the night or of the darkness. So then let us not sleep as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love and for a helmet. The hope of salvation for God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we might live with him. Therefore, encourage one another and build one another up just as you are doing. Please pray with me and we’ll get started. God, thank you that you speak through your word, even through the folly of man like me. God, I pray. Please keep me from error and help. Help me to speak what you have for us this morning. And I pray, Lord, that you would give each person here a heart to receive your word and ears to hear what you are saying. And so God meet with us here as we look at your word and study it together. In Jesus name we all pray. Amen. Okay, so before I jump into this passage, on the day of the Lord, I’M going to read to you two different poems that are written in the 1800s concerning the return of Christ. And each of these are from two different perspectives of when Christ returns. So just listen to these poems. This first one is called the Advent by Christina Rossetti. It says, watchmen, what of the night? The stars are dim and the morning is at hand and we must watch for him. Watchman, what of the night? The night is long Wait till the day star arise with shout and song. Where are the lamps? They are trimmed and burning bright. Where is the bridegroom? He cometh in the night. Is there a cry? Yes, there is a sudden cry the bridegroom is at hand, his hour is nigh the bridegroom comes, he comes to claim his own. The winter is quite past and the flowers are blown the time of singing birds is come at last the night is wearing out and the day is past. It’s the first poem. Here’s the second poem. That’s called the Food. Foolish Virgins by Alfred Tennyson. Here’s what it Late, late, so late and dark the night and chill Late, late, so late but we can enter still Too late, too late, ye cannot enter now, no light had we for that we do repent and learning this the pride groom should Surely we’ll relent Too late, too late, ye cannot enter now no light so late and dark and chill the night O let us in, that we may find the light. Too late, too late, ye cannot enter now have we not heard? The bridegroom is so sweet O let us in. Though late to kiss his feet no, no, too late, ye cannot enter now now both of these poems speak of the sobering event that is the day of the Lord. Some will be found awake in the light with their lamps burning bright, but others will be found asleep in the dark. And these poems reflect the somber reality of the parable of the Ten virgins that Jesus. Jesus teaches concerning his coming. And it also reflects what our passage is speaking about today. And when the Son of Man comes, what will he find? Which will you be? When the Lord returns and when we have to give an account for our souls, will you be sober and awake in the light, or will you be drunk and asleep in the dark? My hope is that studying this passage this morning will give you the answer as we study this passage. So that being said, look with me at First Thessalonians, and before I do that, I’m going to give you a little bit of context concerning this passage. So First Thessalonians was written to the new believers in Thessalonica, only a few months after Paul and Timothy had to leave due to persecution. The church at Thessalonica was very young and they were without any leaders. And therefore Paul wrote this letter to encourage the Thessalonian church, to remind them that sanctification in the midst of persecution was God’s will for their lives. And he desired to clear up any confusion about the Lord’s second coming. So about a month ago, I preached on 1 Thessalonians 4, 4 verses 13 through 18, concerning the state of those who die in the Lord, and about Jesus’s second coming, when he will bring his people to himself. The Thessalonian believers at the time were confused about what was happening when a believer died and if they would experience the Lord’s second coming or not. And so in our last passage, Paul affirmed the Thessalonians that, yes, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep, and those who are alive will not precede those who have fallen asleep at the coming of Christ. Rather, the Lord himself will descend with a shout and with a sound of the trumpet. The dead in Christ will be raised first, and then those who are alive will be caught up together with them to always be with the Lord. And so, after clearing up this confusion, Paul now has more to say in chapter five concerning the day of the Lord. And so, before I get into this, I’m just going to mention that some Christians view this passage as a separate event from the gathering of God’s people that is talked about in chapter four, which is known as the Rapture. And so those that view this as two separate events, this is called dispensational premillennialism. And other Christians view the gathering of God’s people in chapter four. And then what we’re about to read here in chapter five as the same event. And this view would be called historical premillennialism. Or there’s also other views that take these two events to be the same one. And so all of these views, both of these arguments that are made from historical premillennialism and dispensational premillennialism, they both have reliable theologians that back behind them with strong biblical arguments. I personally tend to think that this is the same event when Christ returns, based on what Paul describes in 2nd Thessalonians chapter 2. But I also find myself going back and forth at times. So regardless of your eschatological view, your end time view on this, the main point is that Jesus will return on the day of The Lord, which is what our passage is looking at here. So look with me at verses one through two. God’s word says now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, which side note, brothers here is referring to brothers and sisters in Christ at Thessalonica. Brothers and sisters, you have no need to have anything written to you, for you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. The day of the Lord mentioned here is referring to the great day of God’s judgment upon all mankind. And this will be after the tribulation, when all the earth will be judged and God will melt the elements of the earth in his wrath in order to wipe it clean of all of its evil and make all things new. Second Peter 3:10 says this. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and on that day the heavens will pass away with a loud noise and the elements will burn and be dissolved, and the earth and the works on it will be disclosed for the wicked and the ungodly. This will be a terrifying day, for God is holy and he is a consuming fire against all unrighteousness. But for the righteous who have faith in Christ, the day of the Lord will come with rejoicing and praise to God as justice is established on the earth once and forevermore. And so concerning the times and seasons, that our passage begins with the day of the Lord, Paul says he has nothing more to write to these Thessalonians about this. And this is likely because Paul already taught the Thessalonians that no one knows the times or the seasons when the day of the Lord will occur. Not even the Son of God knows. Only the Father knows when Christ will return and when finality will come to the earth. And so Paul had also taught the Thessalonians that when the day of the Lord comes, it would be like a thief in the night. And so these are chilling words meant to wake up everybody who hears them. And so Jesus himself said that he would come like a thief in the night in the Gospels. And so Matthew 24:40,44 says this. Then two men will be in the field, one will be taken and one left. Two women will be grinding at the mill, one will be taken and one left. Therefore stay awake, for you do not know on the day that the Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready for The Son of man is coming at an hour that you do not expect. So Jesus compares his second coming to that of a thief breaking into a home in the middle of the night. When a person least excited, and this is how the majority of the world will experience the second coming of Christ. It will be sudden and completely unexpected and it will leave each person empty handed before the judgment seat of God. And just as the poem I read to you at the end, there will be a sober reflection that it is too late to now enter in to God’s kingdom with Christ when He comes. And so verse three gives us more insight onto this saying. While people are saying there is peace and security, then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains upon a pregnant woman and they will not escape. Here we learn that there will be a false sense of peace and security before the day of the Lord’s coming. And this sense of peace and security, it will not come from the Lord, but it will be found in the world through one’s possessions or through a trust in the government, or trust in a world leader. It will be a misplaced peace and security. And Jesus taught that just as people were eating and drinking and marrying in the days of Noah, on the day when the flood came and swept them away, so will be when the Christ returns on the night the thief arrives. The world’s false sense of peace and security will not be able to keep them from the hour that their souls must give account to the living God. Our passage says sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains. Just as labor is inevitable once labor has begun, so the sudden judgment of God will inevitably come upon the earth and there will be no escape. These words are terrifying to hear. Just as the words in the poem that I read a couple weeks ago. We had a major storm that rolled through in the area with warnings of severe hail and multiple destructive tornadoes that could roll through the area. And at one point as this storm was going over all of Dane county and all throughout the Midwest, in the middle of the dark clouds and the continuous booming thunder which I think many of you here experienced, there was sirens that began to sound in the middle of the storm and echo across the Madison area, warning that a tornado has been sighted and to seek shelter immediately. Immediately. These verses and others like it that we’re reading here, it’s like the sound of tornado sirens. They are warning all who will listen that impending destruction is coming like a thief in the night, and if one is not prepared and ready for his coming, there will be no escape which is Deeply chilling and sober words in this passage. But to take a shift from this heaviness, we get to verse four. In verse four, we get to some very much so needed Good news. Verse 4 says, but you believers in Thessalonica, you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief, for you are all children of the light, children of the day. We’re not of the night or of the darkness. So here Paul brings some much needed clarification. The day of the Lord is not going to surprise believers as it will surprise the rest of the world. And this is because the Thessalonian brothers and sisters are not in darkness, but instead they are children of the light. Now, what exactly is Paul saying here? 2Nd Corinthians 4, 6, I think gives us a pretty clear understanding of what Paul is saying. And here’s what it says. For God, who said, let light shine out of darkness, he has shown in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. So what Paul is saying is the same God who said, let there be light has now brought light into man through faith in him, and Jesus himself is the light of the world. When a person places their faith in Jesus, the light of Christ is made manifest within them as God gives them a new heart and new desires to follow God’s word. Through faith, God’s people become children of the light that they may walk in good works, that the Holy Spirit enables them to do, works that reflect Christ and bring spiritual light upon the earth. And in contrast, the world is described as living in darkness, and this represents spiritual darkness. As people live in rebellion against God and unable to walk in godliness and unable to understand the truth of God’s word. In the darkness, the world rejects God and seeks pleasure without him by living for their passions of the flesh, which results in sin and death. But children of the light, they do not live this way because they have seen Christ and they have come to the knowledge that Jesus is the Lord. And they devote their lives to following Christ and from putting away darkness and putting away sin. Sin hides itself in the dark, but righteousness shines brightly in the light of day. God’s people are not of the night or of the darkness any longer. They have turned from darkness and now live in Christ’s glorious light. And because God’s people live in the light, they know Christ and they know Jesus is going to return. Therefore, God’s children will not be surprised or caught off guard when Christ arrives. They will be ready with lamps burning in the night, and they’ll be ready to meet their groom and be brought to his side. Those living in darkness, they ignore the warnings and do not expect or desire the day of the Lord to come, which is why it surprises them. But God’s people, they hear the tornado sirens and they turn to Jesus for shelter by the grace of God. So children of the light live in the day where they expect their Savior to return, and their hearts long for his coming to make all things new, where darkness and sin will rule no longer. And so, that being said, my first application from this passage for believers here is, live as children of the light. If you have faith in Christ, the light switch, the spiritual light switch in your life has been flipped on. No longer do you live in darkness where sin is your master, Jesus is your master, Jesus is your guide in this day. His Word is a lamp to your feet that you may walk in a different way from how the world walks and stumbles in darkness. Because you are children of the light, you’re gonna look different. And that is actually okay. Jesus wants us to live differently and to shine our light bright so that others may see our good works and glorify our God who is in heaven. The time for dwelling in darkness is over for the believer, and the time for living for Christ in the light has just now begun. So, so, fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, just like the Thessalonians, live as children of the light, for you no longer live in darkness. You are free to walk in the light of Christ and good works that glorify him. Moving on to verse 6, it says so then 6 and 7 says so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us keep awake and sober. For those who sleep, they sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. And so if anybody here is already starting to fall asleep a little bit, this is to you, go ahead and wake up, be sober. Don’t let my sermon put you to sleep. No. So Paul here, he’s like, further emphasizing the difference between believers who are children of the light and then non believers who are living in darkness. Paul says that those who are living in the dark spend their time sleeping at night and getting drunk at night. What’s important here is that Paul isn’t talking about what physical sleeping and drunkenness does. He’s actually using these as metaphors to communicate that unbelievers are spiritually asleep and drunk. And as they live in darkness, so those living in the darkness without God and without the light of Christ, spend their time spiritually asleep at the wheel. Sleep and drunkenness are both states where reality is distorted and one is not able to fully understand what is going on around them. Unbelievers are oblivious to spiritual truth that is found in God’s word through faith in Christ. They have no awareness of what God’s will is for their lives or any true understanding of that Jesus is going to return and demand an account for their soul. Instead, they live in sin and drown out God’s truth through being intoxicated with what the world has to offer. But Paul, as already pointed out, that’s not who we are referring to. Believers. We are not of the night or spiritually asleep at the wheel. Rather, God’s people are alive and are awake. Therefore, let us not hit snooze on the things of God and sleep spiritually as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. Highlight underline Circle this in your Bibles because I think this is the most important application in our passage today. Keep awake and be sober Because God’s people are children of the day and understand the will of God and they understand the will of God and that Jesus is going to demand an account for the way that we live. So we must keep spiritually awake and remain spiritually sober. As I said before, the day of the Lord being related to a thief in the night is meant to sound the alarm in our minds and nudge God’s people to stay awake and to be alert. Time and history is moving towards one end and that is the day of the Lord. Today, if you find yourself distracted by things of the world or just like kind of living on autopilot going from day to day, then hear the word of the Lord to you this morning. Keep awake and be sober. God has work for you to do today to honor him and to point others to Christ so that they may turn from darkness into light. Be aware of God’s will for your life and be ready for Christ to return so that when he does, you may hear him say these good words that are well done, my good and faithful servant. And when I say understand God’s will, I mean his revealed will through His Word applied to each day. So what Christ asks us to do and the ways he calls us to love one another and to love God. If the day of the Lord changes nothing about how you live day by day, you may be spiritually asleep at the wheel and drunk on the world. While I was working at a collegiate ministry in New Mexico called the Christian Challenge, back when I was a young Buck. Shortly after I’d graduated, there was a staff meeting where I was working at this collegiate ministry, and we had to make some big decisions on where we were going to send college students on summer mission trips with our partner missionaries. And one of the partner missionaries actually got kicked out of the country only months before the trips are going to happen. And so, as this happened, there were some other providential opportunities that had presented themselves, but were certainly a large pivot from what the ministry had originally planned for. And so in the middle of our meeting, the director named David, who was sort of a mentor to me, he said something that I will not forget. He said, what is God doing through all this? He didn’t say it out of anger or out of doubt, but he said it in, like, curiosity and in wonder, like, what is it that the Lord is doing among us? In this unforeseen pivot is the Lord closing one door, one partnership, and now opening another to proclaim the Gospel to another nation? And as David asked these questions to all of us in our staff meeting, it kind of just like snapped me out of my narrow focus where I was just thinking, how do we fix this? Where do we send students? But David, he was thinking, what is the will of God in this circumstance? And what is it that God is doing today in my life? What is it the Lord is doing here that we may keep in step with him and his plans so that he would be glorified? Therefore, just as David was awake and sober of the situation, we too should keep awake and be sober and pondering, what is it that the Lord is doing in my life today? For the Lord is among us, and he is preparing to come on that great and mighty day. Do we perceive it or are we asleep? Moving on to verse eight, it says, but since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love and for a helmet, the hope of salvation. Here Paul gives some practical applications for us on how God’s people are to remain sober before the day of the Lord. They do this by putting on the breastplate of faith and love and the helmet that is the hope of salvation. Here Paul attaches these virtues to pieces of armor similar to the armor of God that’s found in the book of Ephesians. And so faith and love are to be central to a believer’s life, like a breastplate and hope of salvation protects one’s mind from fears or doubts, knowing for certain that they are saved in Christ. And so Paul communicates that these pieces of armor keep a believer soberly aware of God’s will and his truth in their lives. These three virtues are mentioned together in other letters as vital virtues that work together in one’s life as they walk with Christ. For one’s faith angers oneself to Christ, bringing salvation and sanctification that results in good works. One’s love grows their affection for God and for their neighbor to fulfill the greatest commandment. And one’s hope of salvation spurs them on towards what lies ahead, knowing salvation is guaranteed through the finished work of Christ on the cross. Each of these virtues are a gift from God, and each of them keep a believer soberly fixed on Christ and on his return. So moving to verses 9 through 10, God’s word gives us an incredible truth to end on. So verse nine look with me in your Bibles it says, for God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we might live with Him. Now, talking about God’s wrath is generally an uncomfortable topic. Therefore, the day of the Lord is not an easy day to process, and this passage is not easy to process. For the day of the Lord is when God’s wrath is poured out on all ungodliness and wickedness on the earth. But throughout this passage, Paul again and again affirms God’s people that the day of the Lord will be different. For those who have found in Christ, the day of the Lord won’t surprise them like a thief in the night. You are not children of darkness or of the night. You are not asleep or drunk on the world. You are alive, awake and sober. Children of the light. Why? Verse answer gives us why. For God has not destined his children of wrath. Sorry, his children of the light for wrath, but he has destined us for salvation through Jesus Christ who died for us and now is alive. This is such a sweet assurance to hold onto. It is a verse that you could memorize and really meditate on day by day because its promise is so sweet to God’s people. And it is my last application from this passage Christian remember, you are not destined for wrath, but for salvation through your Lord Jesus Christ. Even when life is difficult or you’re enduring something that is really heavy or difficult in your life. Hear God tell you this morning I have not destined you for wrath, but for salvation in Jesus Christ. For God’s people who believe in Jesus as their Lord and Savior, judgment and wrath are not what God has in store. Instead, a beautiful inheritance awaits God’s people, forgiveness of sin, new hearts that beat for God, new lives that are restored and made whole, a new glorified body, joy in the presence of Christ, peace that endures, love that never fails, and eternal life with God and with his people that will never end. That, Christian, is what you are destined for through faith in Christ. Verse 10 also affirms what Paul had previously said in chapter 4, that those who are asleep, which Paul is now no longer talking about, the same sleep as those in darkness, but those who have died with faith in Christ, those who have died and are now asleep as believers, they are also destined for salvation. This means that whether you are awake with faith in Christ or asleep from death with faith in Christ, you will live with Christ in His presence. Death cannot change what God has done for his people. Whether awake or asleep, you are destined to live with Christ in the end when he returns. And if you’re here and you know you are walking in darkness apart from God, then I have some really, really good news for you. All people are born into this world, living in darkness, asleep to the things of God and drunk on the distractions and pleasures of the world. All of us here in this room begin this way. We are separated from God and deserving God’s just wrath that deals with evil, evil that is within us. Yet a light has dawned on the earth in the form of a man. And this man was God himself. He performed many signs and wonders in fulfillment of the scriptures. And he lived a perfect life without sin and with his pure and righteous life. This God man willingly love. He laid down his life for you and for me on the cross. He endured the wrath of God so that all who believe in him by faith could be brought from darkness into light. He bore our sins. He paid our penalties on the cross so that man could be reunited with a holy God and become children of of the light. This God man, this is Jesus the Christ who has died for us. And if anyone, including today, anyone here, turns away from their sin and believes in Jesus as the Lord of their life for the forgiveness of their sins, they will be forgiven and new life will begin in the the light. That’s what happened to the Thessalonian believers when they turned from idols to serve the living God. And it can happen for you if you will believe. For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Our passage then ends on verse 11 that says, Therefore encourage one another and build one another up just as you are doing so. My final encouragement to you from this passage is the exact same thing. Red Village Church Continue to encourage one another here that the day of the Lord is coming near and keep encouraging one another to stay awake and to be sober. Keep building one another up through faith and love and hope that is found in the salvation we have in Christ. Remind one another that God has not destined us for wrath, but for salvation in Christ. Keep sharing the gospel, keep gathering as the family of God at church. Keep reading your Bible and keep praying to the Lord about all things. Live as children of the light together that God’s kindness and love may be put on display so that many who put their faith in him may be ready for the day of the Lord when he returns. That being said, please pray with me, Lord, this passage is sobering and thinking about your coming. And yet there is great hope that is found in Christ through your finished work on the cross, offering forgiveness and a place of shelter from the wrath that we poured out on the great day of the Lord. And so I pray for everyone here. God, help us to be ready to be awake, to be sober. Help us Lord, to continue in doing the things you call us to for your will and for your glory. And God, if any here do not know you, I pray that today would be the day that they would turn from their sin and put their faith in Jesus as their only hope of salvation and as a means of new life to walk in your marvelous light. And God, I pray, be glorified with the rest of our time as we gather here this morning. In Jesus name we all pray. Amen. The post The Day of the Lord – 1 Thessalonians 5: 1-11 appeared first on Red Village Church.

It is easy to grow weary in doing good. Paul knows this truth firsthand. However, in this portion of his letter to the Thessalonian church, he reminds them to lean into Christ.

Paul opens 2 Thessalonians 1:1–12 by thanking God for the Thessalonian believers, whose faith and love continue to grow despite intense persecution, affirming that their endurance is evidence of God's righteous judgment and their worthiness of His kingdom (2 Thessalonians 1:3–5); he assures them that God will ultimately repay those who afflict them and grant relief to His suffering people when Jesus is revealed from heaven in power and glory (2 Thessalonians 1:6–7), a coming that will bring judgment on those who do not know God or obey the gospel (2 Thessalonians 1:8; Romans 1:20) and result in eternal separation from His presence (2 Thessalonians 1:9; 2 Peter 2:20), while believers will marvel at Christ and share in His glory (2 Thessalonians 1:10; 1 Peter 1:6–7; Matthew 24:27, 30–31); Paul concludes by praying that God would make them worthy of their calling, empower every good work of faith, and glorify the name of Jesus in them by His grace (2 Thessalonians 1:11–12; Philippians 2:12–13; Colossians 3:25). You can connect with Moriel in more locations than just YouTube! Check out all our official links on the About page: https://www.youtube.com/c/MorielTVministries/about.

Paul addresses more concerns within the Thessalonian congregation. He begins by reminding them that every good gift is from Above. - Thank you for joining us. Please submit any questions or requests to: Pastor Matt's email: mgrimm@cstoneepc.com Thadd's email: thadd@truth316.com Planted intro/outro: Straight Through by Groove Bakery | https://groovebakery.com Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-ND 4.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/ 

Aneirin Glyn - How can joy go hand in hand with affliction? Paul is overflowing with thankfulness for how the Thessalonian believers have been transformed by receiving the word about Jesus. The pattern of their lives is because they are loved by God and chosen by him.

Two of the shortest verses in the Bible are 1 Thess. 5:16 and 17: "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing" (NRSV). Dr. Jeff Peterson argues that that these verses are directed to leaders of the Thessalonian church, along with all of vv. 14-22, and he zeroes in on the Greek adverb translated "without ceasing." Concretely, what was Paul asking the recipients of his letter to do? Dr. Jeff Peterson is Professor of New Testament at Harding School of Theology, Harding University. His publications include (co-editor), Marcan Priority Without Q: Explorations in the Farrer Hypothesis. Check out related programs at Wheaton College: B.A. in Classical Languages (Greek, Latin, Hebrew): https://bit.ly/3NUCXJ0  M.A. in Biblical Exegesis: https://bit.ly/4diWywK 

Join Izzy and Zoe as they conclude their deep dive into 1 Thessalonians, unpacking chapter 5 and exploring what it means to stay spiritually awake, prepare for Christ's return, and live out faith with radical intentionality in a world that desperately needs hope. This episode tackles one of the most discussed yet misunderstood topics in Scripture: the second coming of Jesus, why we don't need to fear it, and how preparation isn't about knowing the details but about staying awake to what God is doing right now. Discover what it truly means when Paul says the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night, why being children of light changes everything about how we live, and the difference between spiritual sleepiness and the sleep of death. The episode dives into the armor of God, the importance of staying prepared not through fear but through faith, love, and hope, and why Jesus' return should motivate us to live with urgency, love others well, and share the gospel boldly. This is for anyone who has ever been anxious about the end times, wondered what it looks like to be spiritually awake, or struggled with how to live faithfully when the future feels uncertain. The conversation also unpacks Paul's final instructions to the Thessalonian church, from respecting leaders who serve sacrificially to making peace in community, rejoicing always, praying continually, and giving thanks in all circumstances. Learn what it means to not repay wrong for wrong, how practicing thankfulness leads to humility, and why the shortest verse in the original Bible is "rejoice always." Plus, the episode answers the burning question: what on earth is a holy kiss, and are we actually supposed to greet each other that way? FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/thewayuk/ FOLLOW US ON TIK TOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@thewayuk/ Want to know more? Find a church that has things happening for young people. Visit https://achurchnearyou.com/youth/ [In partnership with CofE Digital Projects]

1 Thessalonians 3:1–8 Suffering is inevitable in the life of a maturing Christian. When troubles come, we can either resist them or let them press us closer to Christ. Follow along as Pastor Chuck Swindoll looks at suffering in the life of Paul as well as in the lives of the Thessalonian church (1 Thessalonians 3:1–8). When your comfort zone gets squeezed, learn to see it as expected and essential. Resolve to see adversity as an opportunity to stay firmly committed to Jesus in your trials.

1 Thessalonians 3:1-8 / March 11-12, 2026 Follow along as Pastor Chuck Swindoll looks at suffering in the life of Paul as well as in the lives of the Thessalonian church (1 Thessalonians 3:1–8). From the Series: Contagious Christianity read more

1 Thessalonians 3:1–8 Suffering is inevitable in the life of a maturing Christian. When troubles come, we can either resist them or let them press us closer to Christ. Follow along as Pastor Chuck Swindoll looks at suffering in the life of Paul as well as in the lives of the Thessalonian church (1 Thessalonians 3:1–8). When your comfort zone gets squeezed, learn to see it as expected and essential. Resolve to see adversity as an opportunity to stay firmly committed to Jesus in your trials.

1 Thessalonians 3:1-8 / March 11-12, 2026 Follow along as Pastor Chuck Swindoll looks at suffering in the life of Paul as well as in the lives of the Thessalonian church (1 Thessalonians 3:1–8). From the Series: Contagious Christianity read more

1 Thessalonians 3:1-8 / March 11-12, 2026 Follow along as Pastor Chuck Swindoll looks at suffering in the life of Paul as well as in the lives of the Thessalonian church (1 Thessalonians 3:1–8). From the Series: Contagious Christianity read more

In this episode, Nancy Wilson looks at 2 Thessalonians and how godly families build strong churches. She examines the Thessalonian congregation as a model of growing faith and abounding love, emphasizing that these qualities start at home before they can flourish in the broader community. Find more from Nancy and others on Canon+: https://canonplus.com/tabs/none/pages/nancy-wilson