The Witness of the Church

The Witness of the Church

Ian Thomas

The Witness of the Church

2 Thessalonians 3:1-18

Main Idea: We await the return of Christ by praying for gospel advancement & faithfully working

I. The Gospel & Our Praying (3:1-5)

Paul urges the Thessalonians to pray for the advancement of the gospel, emphasizing the power and importance of prayer in all genuine gospel ministry (cf. Col. 4:2-3).

Paul exhorts us to pray for gospel advancement in 3 specific ways:

1. We pray that the word of God would spread out (“speed ahead”) into the world

2. We pray that the word of God would be honored in the church

3. We pray against the work of those who desire to stop this advancement (cf. The Parable of the Sower: Mk. 4:1-20)  

“In this respect, prayer is like a spiritual walkie-talkie on the battlefield of the world. Prayer calls to heavenly artillery to blast open a way for the gospel (Col 4:3) and asks God at heavenly headquarters for clarity and courage in presenting the gospel (Eph 6:18–20; Col 4:4–6). Paul calls in to headquarters for the wisdom and power to win the war and for strength and protection from the enemy” ~ G.K. Beale

We are invited to pray this way in confidence because “the Lord is faithful” & is committed to his word. He will establish & strengthen his people for this work, precisely what happened in Thessalonica. 

II. The Gospel & Our Working (3:6-15)

Paul’s previous warnings about ‘idleness’ (1 Thess. 4:10-12, 5:14) have not been followed, so he urges the church to deal more seriously with this issue. There are two temptations for us as we consider our own work, calling, or vocation today:

1. Idleness in Work

Those walking in “idleness” in Thessalonica were unnecessarily burdening others & were living as ‘busybodies,’ a word connected with false teaching in the NT (cf. 1 Tim. 5:13). They were living a “disordered” life that was damaging the witness of the church & the community of believers. 

2. Idolatry of Work

“When work is your identity, success goes to your head, and failure goes to your heart.” ~ Tim Keller

What is a better witness for God’s people in regard to their work ethic?

• We work hard, following the example of Paul & the Lord Jesus (3:7-9)

• We work quietly & diligently (3:12a; cf. 1 Thess. 4:11)

• We work to earn a living (3:12b; lit. ‘eat your own bread;’) & not be a burden to others

• We work with perseverance (3:13)

For those who persist in this “idleness,” Paul urges that the church community warn this person as a brother or sister in Christ so they might be drawn to repentance. This “church discipline” was to maintain the witness of the church & to guard the souls

Galatians 6:1–2: “Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”

III. The Gospel & Our Waiting (3:16-18)

As we await the return of Christ, Paul’s benediction reminds us of what kind of blessing we need to endure until that day:

1. God’s Peace (3:16a)

2. God’s Presence (3:16b)

3. God’s Grace (3:18)

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Standing Firm in the End

Standing Firm in the End

Andrew Lovette

Standing Firm in the End

2 Thessalonians 2:1-17

16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, (2 Ti 3:16)

Main Idea: We stand firm against the schemes of the evil one by clinging to the grace of the righteous one.

1. Expectations for now and then. (2 Thessalonians 1-12)

Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the Day of the Lord has come. Let no one deceive you. (2 Thessalonians 2:1-3)

A. The Rebellion (The Great Revolt, Or Apostia)

B. The Rebel (Man of Lawlessness of Antichrist)

For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. (2 Thes 2:3b-5)

1. The Antinomian (The man of lawlessness, v.3)

2. The Doomed (The Son of Destruction, v.3)

3. The Enemy (The one who will oppose God, v.4)

4. The Climber (The one who exalts himself claiming to be God, v.4)

Mt 24:12 And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.

Isaiah 14:12-14 “How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low! You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ 

Ezekiel 28:1-2 “Because your heart is proud, and you have said, ‘I am a god, I sit in the seat of the gods, in the heart of the seas,’ yet you are but a man, and no god, though you make your heart like the heart of a god— 

Daniel 11:31 Forces from him shall appear and profane the temple and fortress, and shall take away the regular burnt offering. And they shall set up the abomination that makes desolate.

Daniel 11:36-37 “And the king shall do as he wills. He shall exalt himself and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak astonishing things against the God of gods. He shall prosper till the indignation is accomplished; for what is decreed shall be done. 37 He shall pay no attention to the gods of his fathers, or to the one beloved by women. He shall not pay attention to any other god, for he shall magnify himself above all.

Revelation 13:3 One of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled as they followed the beast. 

Revelation 13:12 It exercises all the authority of the first beast in its presence, and makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose mortal wound was healed. 

1 John 2:18 Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour. 

1 John 2:22 Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist. 

Matthew 24:24 For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. 

2 Thes 2:6-8 And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming. 

“His anti-social, anti-law, anti-God movement is at present largely underground. We detect its subversive influence around us today—in the atheistic stance of secular humanism, in the totalitarian tendencies of extreme left-wing and right-wing ideologies, in the materialism of the consumer society which puts things in the place of God, in those so-called ‘theologies’ which proclaim the death of God and the end of moral absolutes, and in the social permissiveness which cheapens the sanctity of human life, sex, marriage and family, all of which God created or instituted." ~ John Stott

2 Thes 2:9-12 The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

1. They delight in sin.

2. They refuse to believe and love the truth.

3. Satan deceives them.

4. God gives them over to the lie they’ve chosen.

5. They are condemned.

2. Assurance for now and then

2 Thessalonians 2:13-14 But we ought always to give thanks for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the first fruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

2 Co 10:4–5 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.  We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ. 

 John 6:37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. 

John 15:16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide. 

2 Thessalonians 2:15 So then, brothers stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter. 

Eph 2:20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone,

2 Ti 4:3–5 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. (But hear this) 5 As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. (2 Ti 4:3–5)

Rev 12:11 And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. (Rev 12:11)

And though this world with devils filled should threaten to undo us. We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us. The Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him. His rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure. One little word shall fell him.

~ Martin Luther

2 Thes 2:13-17 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, conform your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.

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Enduring in Light of the End

Enduring in Light of the End

Andrew Lovette

Enduring in Light of the End

2 Thessalonians 1:1-12

Main Idea: We faithfully endure by patiently awaiting the return of the Savior and Judge. 

2 Thessalonians 1:1-2 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy. To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 

1. Thanksgiving (verses 3-4)

• 1 Th 5:16–18 Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

• Mt 13:20–21 As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away.

• 2 Th 1:5 This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering.

• Ac 5:41 Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name.

• 2 Ti 3:12 Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,

2. Judgement (verses 6-10)

• 2 Th 1:6–9 since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might.

• Jn 1:3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.

• Col 1:15–16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.

• Jn 3:17–19 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. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.

A. Justice for the Persecuted (6-7)

“The character of God is the guarantee that all wrongs will be righted someday; when the ‘day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed’ (Rom 2:5) arrives, retribution will be exact, and no problems of cosmic unfairness will remain to haunt us. God is the Judge, so justice will be done”.

- J.I. Packer

B. Vengeance for the Persecutors (7b-10)

• 2 Th 1:7–9 when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might.

3. Vindication (verses 10-12)

• 2 Th 1:10–12 when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed. To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

• Revelation 4:8. “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!”

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Family in Light of the End

Family in Light of the End

Rob Lourcey

Family in Light of the End

1 Thessalonians 5:12-28

Main Idea: Living in light of the end dramatically impacts how we act as a church family.

I. Instructions for Relationships within the Church (5:12-22)

A. To their pastors (v. 12-13

1. Labor among you

2. Are over you

3. Admonish you

B. To one another (v. 14-22)

“For it is God’s will, he taught, that every local church should enjoy pastoral oversight, but not his will that pastors should dominate and organize everything. They are not meant to monopolize ministries, but rather to multiply them.”

- John Stott

1. Admonish the idle

2. Encourage the fainthearted

3. Help the weak

4. Be patient with them all

5. Seek to do good not evil to one another

“Every Christian community must realize that not only do the weak need the strong, but also that the strong cannot exist without the weak. The elimination of the weak is the death of fellowship.”

- Dietrich Bonhoeffer

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18: “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

“In that darkness God’s truth shines most clear.”

- Corrie Ten Boom (The Hiding Place)

II. Benediction (5:23-28)

A. Holy conduct (v. 23-24)

B. Wholly conduct (v. 25-28)

1 Thessalonians 5:28: “The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.”

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Preparing for the End

Preparing for the End

Ian Thomas

Preparing for the End

1 Thessalonians 5:1-11

“Whatever your position on eschatology is (or isn’t), if it doesn’t foster encouragement of other Christians or empower you to live an eternity-driven life, you haven’t understood your eschatology. In fact, the end of all things is the greatest hope the world has. If eschatology is not encouraging and life-re-directing, it’s not biblical.” ~ J.A. Medders & Brandon Smith

Main Idea: We must prepare for the sudden return of Christ by living spiritually alert & awake.

I. The Nature of Christ’s Return (5:1-3)

In their confusion about various things related to the second coming of Christ, the Thessaonians desired to know the “times and the seasons” surrounding his coming. Their curiosity about the “Day of the Lord” was not unwarranted or uncommon, as it appears frequently in the prophets & in Jesus’ teaching. 

Acts 1:6–7: So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.

Though the Thessalonians did not have exhaustive knowledge, they did have sufficient information about Christ’s return. Paul reminds them with two analogies:

1. A Thief in the Night (2:2b; cf. Matt. 24:43-44, 2 Pet. 3:10)

2. Labor Pains (2:3)

Christ’s return will be sudden, surprising, and disruptive. While most people carry on with their lives with no awareness of the return of Christ (“peace and security”), the promised “Day of the Lord” will come unexpectedly & with judgment. 

II. Preparing for Christ’s Return (5:4-8)

For those who are in Christ, however, we have no reason to be “surprised” on the day of his return. In Christ, our status & our lifestyle have been transformed by God’s grace to prepare us for the end.

Our Status in Christ (5:4-5): we are now “children of light.” Light represents illumination and life while death represents disorder and death; Christ comes as the “light of the world” (Jn. 8:12; Lk. 1:78-79) to call us out of darkness.

Colossians 1:13–14: He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,  in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Our Lifestyle in Christ (5:6-8):

• Stay Awake 

• Stay Sober 

“To be drunk spiritually is to imbibe too much of the world’s way of looking at things and not enough of the way God views reality. To be intoxicated with the world’s wine is to be numbed to feeling any fear in the present of a coming judgment” ~ G.K. Beale

• Take up the armor of God & the weapons of the Kingdom: faith, love, and hope

III. The Hope of Christ’s Return (5:9-11)

We can have hope on the day of Christ’s return because the judgment of the “day of the Lord” has already been poured out on Jesus at the cross. Jesus’ death on the cross was for us so that we might live with him. Jesus is not a means to an end; whether we are awake or asleep (alive or dead), we will live forever with him.

“When we are united to Christ, we are no longer to cringe before the thought of Judgment Day. That’s because we no longer have the pressure to make the case for our own innocence. Our case is thoroughly debunked. At the cross, God has already revealed our guilt. In our repentance from sin, we have already agreed with his verdict, and our ongoing confession of sin reaffirms that agreement. Judgment Day happened for us, in a very real sense, already, at the Place of the Skull outside the gates of Jerusalem 2,000 years ago.” ~ Russell Moore

Hebrews 9:27–28: And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.

Together as an end-time community of God, the church ought to be constantly “encouraging one another & building one another up” in the hope of Christ’s return. 

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Gospel Grief in Light of the End

Gospel Grief in Light of the End

Brandon Curriston

Gospel Grief in Light of the End

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 

Main Idea: The gospel provides us hope in the midst of grief and death in light of the finished work of Christ and His promised return.

I. Gospel Grief (v. 13-14)

Paul reintroduces the problem facing the Thessalonians in verse 13, namely that many in Thessaloniki were “uninformed” about the return of Christ and about those “who were asleep”

• “Uninformed” or in some translations “ignorant” implies something in their faith was lacking and that knowledge could affect their understanding and thus drive down into their hearts and transform their actions and attitudes as a whole. 

• Asleep was a common analogy for those who had died. This was a known expression and would not have caused much confusion on what Paul was talking about. There were debates about the end times and what would happen to those who had already died. Would they miss out on the return of Christ?

“Grieve as others do who have no hope” (v.13)

Paul gives a double negative which is essentially telling us he wants us to grieve hopefully. Balance of these extremes is key to proper Gospel Grief. Two potential extreme pitfalls:

1. Detached stoicism 

2. Complete despair

Detached stoicism 

Lazarus died and “Jesus wept” (John 11:35) and “snorted with rage” (John 11:38) and this was still knowing that he would resurrect him. How could the creator of all things weep and be angry over something in His created world unless it was an intruder distorting the original good design He had envisioned. So if Jesus wept over this we ought to weep as well.

“Grieving over someone’s death is biblical, Christ-like (John 11:35). We often say, “Death is a natural part of life.” It’s actually the opposite-death is entirely unnatural. We weren’t created to die, and we aren’t destined to stay dead.” 

~ J. Medders + Brandon Smith (Rooted: Theology for Growing Christians) 

Complete despair

We often hold that grief and hope are two mutually exclusive things and cannot coexist. Paul is encouraging us that they can, but only in a uniquely Christian way. Our despair is seasoned with hope. Again Jesus is our perfect example. Jesus did not just weep over Lazarus but pointed us to our ultimate hope… himself. 

Jesus knew raising him from the grave would be the final straw that would push the Pharisees to condemn him. Yet, he raised him knowing in a short while he would be going to the tomb on his behalf. 

“There is a difference between sorrow and despair. Sorrow is pain for which there are sources of consolation. Sorrow comes from losing one good thing among others, so that, if you experience a career reversal, you can find comfort in your family to get you through it. Despair, however, is inconsolable, because it comes from losing an ultimate thing. When you lose the ultimate source of your meaning or hope, there are no alternative sources to turn to. It breaks your spirit.” 

~ Tim Keller (Counterfeit Gods)

“For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.” (V. 14) 

• What is the Gospel? The good news that Jesus Christ, the son of God incarnate, came to earth in human flesh lived a sinless perfect life and died a substitutionary sacrificial death on the cross to atone for our sins and wrong doings, and then three days later He rose up out of that grave and ascended into heaven and is sitting at the right hand of the father ruling and reigning over the whole world. Our assurance then comes from this finished work.

II. Gospel Promise (v. 15-17)

4 eschatological events which John Stott has helpfully identified as four R’s. 

1. Return - “coming of the Lord” (v. 15)

2. Resurrection - “the dead in Christ will rise first” (v. 16)

3. Rapture  - “we who are alive … will be caught up together … meet the Lord in the air” (v.17)

4. Reunion - “together with them … we will always be with the Lord” (v.17)

Return of Christ is assured even if all the details are unknown … Revelation 6:14 refers to the end of the present cosmos as “a scroll that has been split and each of the two halves is rolled up.” 

The resurrection is a transformation of not just our world but our bodies rising from the grave but creating bodies designed and perfected to inhabit this new world. 

“Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him. - Romans 6:8 

“There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” - Romans 8:1

Rapture comes from the Latin word rapere meaning to seize and the Greek word harpazo. It’s emphasis here is on a suddenness as we will not know the day or time that it will happen (1 Thessalonians 5), but what is certain is that we will be together with the Lord. That believers will experience a corporate continuity. 

The ultimate goal of the resurrection and the final return is that we will be with the Lord forever. 

“We must resist temptations to embroider, dismiss, or take total literalism.” ~ John Stott 

Gospel Encouragement (v.18)

Paul’s concluding argument is our concluding argument as well: “Therefore encourage one another with these words.” (V. 18)

Paul’s plea was pastoral in nature. He didn’t pen this letter to cause debates and disagreement on the end times and when final tribulation was coming. Paul wrote this letter to provide counsel for a hurting and grieving church. To provide hope and encouragement found only in the gospel for those who had lost loved ones and were in pain.

In this context, hope in the face of death will enhance the witness of the Christian community. 

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Kingdom Ethics

Kingdom Ethics

Ian Thomas

Kingdom Ethics

1 Thessalonians 4:1-12

Main Idea: We should strive to please God in all of life as a compelling witness to the gospel.

“The glory of the gospel is that when the Church is absolutely different from the world, she invariably attracts it. It is then that the world is made to listen to her message, though it may hate it at first” ~ Martyn Lloyd-Jones

The Foundational Kingdom Ethic (4:1-3a)

Paul reminds the church in Thessalonica that the will of God for them (and for all Christians) is “your sanctification.” The guiding ethic behind all of the Christian life & our sanctification should be a desire to “please God.” 

This foundational ethic for the Chrsitian life entails:

• A life deeply impacted by a relationship with the Lord Jesus & his Church 

• A radical “reorienting” of our lives

“Whether in the ancient world or today, the chief end of humanity has often been to take pleasure in this life. In contrast, our passage begins by affirming the opposite: humanity’s chief goal ought to be to take pleasure in pleasing God.” ~ G.K. Beale

John 8:29: “And he who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him.”

Progressive growth (“that you do so more and more”). The power for sanctification comes from the Holy Spirit who has been given to us (4:8). It is the Spirit who transforms us into the image of Christ “from one degree of glory to another” (cf. 2 Cor. 3:18). 

The Kingdom Sexual Ethic (4:3b-8)

Paul first applies the principle of sanctification and pleasing God to the issue of sexality. The Graeco-Roman world was full of sexual immorality; sex was viewed as a “commodity” and there was little to no expectation of sexual restraint, particularly for men. 

Paul indicates there are two basic ways to approach sex:

1. Lust (4:3b, 5-6): “exploits” & objectifies another in order to please yourself. Paul says that the Lord is an “avenger” in these things to remind them of the seriousness of sexual sin (cf. 1 Cor. 6:18-19, Matt. 5:27-28)

2. Love (4:4): exercises self-control and treats sex with “holiness and honor” in order to please God

For those who “know God” and have the Holy Spirit, we have been empowered to live holy lives in this regard. We can acknowledge the good gift of sex while also not making it the ultimate thing, embracing that it points to the mystery of Christ’s love for the Church (cf. Eph. 5:31-32).

As the early church lived out this radically different sexual ethic, they promoted:

• Mutuality & Self-Control (cf. 1 Cor. 7:3-5)

• Consent

• The opportunity for faithful singleness & celibacy

“Sex as a commodity was a pillar of the Roman Empire. Christian sexual ethics developed as a rebuke of that world. Christians claimed that Christ gave us the kind of freedom that allows us to choose sexual holiness. Truly consensual sex was a rarity in the world in which Christianity got its start. Christianity, we might say, invented consensual sex.” ~ Beth Felker Jones

The Kingdom Work Ethic (4:9-12)

Though the church in Thessalonica had a track record for contagious love for one another, they failed to connect this to the realm of work. For some reason (either cultural practice or a misunderstanding of Christ’s return), many in the church had stopped working altogether & were meddling & disturbing the lives of others. 

Paul exhorts them in 3 ways (4:11):

1. “Live Quietly” (Lit. ‘ambition to have no ambition”)

2. “Mind your own affairs,” and do not meddle unnecessarily in the lives of others. 

3. “Work with your hands,” something the Greeks looked down upon as the work of slaves.

The church is to live this way so they might gain a good reputation before outsiders and not be unnecessarily dependent on the church. This all pleases God and showcases the love of Christ to others as they are faithful to God in the ordinary, everyday stuff of life.

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* NOTE: For a further in depth look at “A Biblical Sexual Ethic & The Beauty of the Gospel” ( 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8) you can reference our sermon archives from August 30th, 2020 HERE.

How Do You Feel About the Church?

How Do You Feel About the Church?

Pat Kappenman

How Do You Feel About the Church?

1 Thessalonians 2:17-3:13

Main Point: If I don’t love the church the way that Paul did, I am not properly preparing for the Lord’s return. 

How did Paul come to love the church the way he did?

 “In this connection I journeyed to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests.  At midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, that shone around me and those who journeyed with me.  And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’  And I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.  But rise and stand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you,  delivering you from your people and from the Gentiles—to whom I am sending you  to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.” (Acts 26:12-18)

Here is the important takeaway: NOTHING about the church has changed one bit since the Damascus Road and Paul’s day.  NOTHING. Her people are still as fumbling and frail as they have ever been. She totters along through history with fits and starts that leave us cringing and scratching our heads. She is socially awkward and stupidly blunt most of the time. But Jesus loves her and He is perfecting her and protecting her and preserving her for Himself. The day is coming when the Church shall be dazzling, second only to Jesus and the Godhead in her glory.

What did Paul’s love for the church prompt him to do?

• He longed to be with them in person - 1 Thes 2:17; 3:10

• He gave his best to secure their best - 1 Thes 3:2ff

• He found his joy in their advancement -1 Thes 2:19, 3:8

How do we train ourselves to love the church like Paul did?

1. Fight to show up - stay connected. 

2. Focus on promoting one another’s faith - stay engaged.

3. Pray for one another in full awareness of the coming of Christ - stay invested.

We are properly preparing for the Lord’s return when we are meaningfully connected with what matters most to Him, actively engaged in establishing and encouraging one another’s faith in Him, and deeply invested in what He gave Himself to secure as His own.

Gospel Ministry

Gospel Ministry

Ian Thomas

Gospel Ministry

1 Thessalonians 2:1-16

Main Idea: Faithful gospel ministry is a stewardship of the Word of God & a commitment to the people of God.

I. The Motivation for Ministry (2:1-6)

Paul defends his ministry when he was in Thessalonica by reminding them that he was not:

• Deterred by suffering & conflict (2:2)

• Acting in “impurity” nor attempting to deceive (2:3)

• Seeking glory from man nor greedy (2:5-6)

Instead, Paul has a clean conscience and pure motives because he knew he was a steward of what ultimately belongs to God. He has been “approved by God” and “entrusted with the gospel.” This stewardship is both liberating and sobering, inviting the minister of the gospel to a posture of humble confidence. 

1 Corinthians 4:2–4: It is required of stewards that they be found faithful. But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself.  For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me.

II. The Manner of Ministry (2:7-12)

Paul gives 2 images of his manner of ministry in Thessalonica:

1. A Mother (2:7-8)

A different set of traits is needed for pastors than for the business world’s management culture. Paul writes, ‘But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children’ (1 Thess. 2:7). This is not exactly the pastoral image that is most popular today. In an age when machismo and ‘catalytic, visionary’ life-coaching dominate the evangelical leadership ranks, the ministerial role of a breastfeeding mom is alien. There is a patience, a parental affection, a tender giving of one’s self that Scripture envisions for the pastor’s leadership role.” ~ Jared Wilson

This image is meant to reveal: 

• Ministry is an overflow of love (cf. Mt. 9:36)

• Ministry is an act of self-giving

2. A Father (2:9-12)

Just as a father would be responsible for training up his children to follow in their work, inheritance, and trade, Paul acted as a “spiritual father” in this way, both his words and his actions. 

• He “proclaimed the gospel of God” while he also “exhorted, encouraged, and charged” his children to “walk in a manner worthy of the calling.” 

• He worked hard to not be a burden, and his conduct was “holy, righteous, and blameless toward them.” Paul was setting an example to the church (cf. 1 Pet. 5:3), urging them to “follow him as he followed Christ” (1 Cor. 11:1)

“In America, credentials qualify a person to lead. In Jesus, the chief qualification is character. In America, what matters most are the results we produce. In Jesus, what matters most is the kind of people we are becoming. In America, success is measured by material accumulation, power, and the positions that we hold. In Jesus, success is measured by material generosity, humility, and the people whom we serve… In America, leaders crave recognition and credit. In Jesus, leaders think less of themselves and give credit to others. In America, leaders compare and compete so they will flourish. In Jesus, leaders sacrifice and serve so others will flourish. In America, the strong and powerful rise to the top. In Jesus, the meek inherit the earth.” ~ Scott Sauls

III. The Message of Ministry (2:13-16)

• The nature of the Bible: it is the very word of God communicated through the words of men as inspired by the Holy Spirit 

2 Peter 1:21: For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

2 Timothy 4:1–5: I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. 3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. 5 As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

• The activity of the Bible: it is “at work” producing fruit in the life of a believer (cf. 1:3-5) and a faithful perseverance in the midst of suffering (2:14-16)

We must “receive” & “accept” the word of God in the same way as the church in Thessalonica.

An Upside-Down Life

An Upside-Down Life

Ian Thomas

An Upside-Down Life

1 Thessalonians 1:1-10

Acts 17:6b–7: “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also, and Jason has received them, and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.”

Main Idea: The gospel empowers us to live an upside-down life that bears witness to Jesus as King.

I. Faith That Works (1:1-5a)

Paul encourages the church in Thessalonica that they should be commended for their “faith, love, and hope.” These often ‘abstract’ qualities are actually tangible evidences of the gospel at work: it is their work of faith, their labor of love, and their steadfastness of hope

None of these come naturally, however. Faith, love, and hope are the fruit of being “loved by God” & “chosen by him” (1:4). This occurs because the Holy Spirit takes the words of the gospel and turns them into eternal power that results in a “full conviction” of faith.

• Ephesians 1:4b-5: In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ

• Deuteronomy 7:7-8a: It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but it is because the Lord loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers…

There are two errors & dangers when we consider “faith that works”: 

1. We can too heavily focus on what we are supposed to “do” in the Christian life

2. We can fail to be moved by grace toward action

“One of the most striking evidences of sinful human nature lies in the universal propensity for downward drift. In other words, it takes thought, resolve, energy, and effort to bring about reform… People do not drift toward holiness. Apart from grace-driven effort, people do not gravitate toward godliness, prayer and obedience to Scripture, faith and delight in the Lord.” ~ D.A. Carson

II. Joy In Affliction (1:5b-8)

The church in Thessalonica was planted in the midst of suffering, affliction, & adversity (cf. Acts 17:1-6) which has continued. The Scriptures over and over again tell us to expect suffering, persecution, and affliction (cf. Jn 16:33; 1 Pet. 4:12-13; 1 Thess. 3:3). 

Joy in suffering produces an “imitation” (lit. “a mold”) of Paul and the apostles, but most importantly, “of the Lord '' himself, as the Holy Spirit conforms us to the image of Christ.

Joy in the face of suffering, persecution, and affliction is a powerful & undeniable witness to the hope of the gospel. As this church had joy in their affliction, the “word of the Lord sounded forth from them” throughout the surrounding region. Ordinary Christians facing suffering yet filled with joy of the Holy Spirit is a powerful witness to the extraordinary gospel. 

III. Serving While Waiting (1:9-10)

The Thessalonians had a reputation for having “turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God.” By implication, this means that idols are “dead” and “false.” Idolatry is not just a 1st century issue; an idol is something you’ll either sin to get or you’ll sin if you don’t get it. 

As we continually turn from idols, we are to “serve” while we “wait” for Jesus to return. In this paradox of “serving” and “waiting,” we must realize that this is not a “passive” waiting. Because Jesus has been raised from the dead & one day will return, we actively wait & look forward to the hope of his return.

“Christians are to live in such a way that, as men and women look at us, we become a problem to them. They will ask ‘What is it? Why are these people so different in every way, different in their conduct and behavior, and different in their reactions? There is something about them which we do not understand, which we cannot explain.’ And they will be driven to the only real explanation, which is that we are the people of God, the children of God.” ~ D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones