SERMON NOTES
1 Thessalonians 1-10
Jesus Delivers Us From the Wrath to Come
Thessalonians is believed to have been written in AD 49-51
This was in Paul’s second Missionary Journey.
Themes- The primary theme was the second coming of Jesus.
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Jesus came
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Jesus is coming back for His people
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We need to wait for Jesus
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We need to live for Jesus now
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We need to tell others about Jesus
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We need to keep hope that all those that are in Christ will be taken up with Him
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The coming of Jesus was prophesied in Micah and it is recounted and hundreds of years later in 1 Thessalonians, which then points toward His Return.
Jesus’ coming back is mentioned in every chapter of this book.
This tells us we have a Savior, and it reminds us to live for Him now and have hope in His return.
When Jesus comes back, those who repented of their sins and believe in Him as Lord will be taken up with Him for eternity in heaven.
4:15-17 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.
Those who have not asked Jesus to be Lord of their lives will be subject to the just wrath of God for their sins.
1 Thessalonians 1:10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.
1 Thessalonians 5:2-3 For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 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.
1 Thessalonians 5:9-10 For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him.
God is faithful and will produce holiness in His people, who were always destined to be His.
1 Thessalonians 5:24 He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.
Thessalonica was the capital city of the Roman province of Macedonia. It had a population of over 100,000 people. It had natural harbors and was a great area for trade.
Paul, Timothy, and Silas preached in the Thessalonian Synagogue over three sabbaths and because of this many Jews and Gentiles in Thessalonica believed in Christ. Acts 17:4
Paul wanted to follow up on the believers there so he sent Timothy back to Thessalonica to teach. 1 Thess 3:1, Acts 17:15
One major concern Paul had with this church was that they were depending on the wealthier Christians to care for the church, rather than working and taking care of themselves and the church. These people stopped working because they were waiting for Christ to return; this took faith. That might have been true, but they were told to get back to work so that they and the church could flourish.
1 Thessalonians 4:9-12 Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, 10 for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more, 11 and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, 12 so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.
Chapter 1 points-
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Christians are not destined for hell, but for salvation because of faith in Jesus. 10
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Those who respond to the Gospel have been elected by God and called by God. 4
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The authenticity of the Gospel is found in scripture and proclaimed and lived out for faithful ministers and preachers. 5
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Faith, hope, and love are essential traits of the Christian.
Vs 1- This passage was written by Paul. It was to the church in Thessalonica In God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Grace and peace come to us only through faith in Jesus. Forgiveness of all sins and peace with God forever through faith in Christ and repentance.
Vs 2- God's people encourage each other by their love, partnership in the Gospel, like mindedness, and prayers.
Do you know your church family? Do you encourage your church family by your daily ministry? Do you pray for your church family?
Ministry is messy and takes work! There is nothing more fulfilling in our lives than serving God's people, the lost, and our Lord! Do you?
I am so thankful for the work, love, service, heart, and faith that I see in our people at this church! I thank God for you! You keep me going!]
God cares if you have faith, labor for Him and others, if you love, and if you remain steadfast. I am thankful God blessed me with you as a church family. YOU ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE.
Vs 4- God is sovereign and overall. If you are saved, He chose you.
The Spirit of God has power, and it draws people to conviction.
God wants us to imitate mature Christians. God wants us to have good character as evidence of life change. God wants us to be humble and learn from one another. God wants us to lead others.
Does your life imitate Christ? Do you take time to pour into others?
When you are in difficult times do you still look to Christ, have faith, and remain joyful?
Our faith in God should be with us in action, deed, and speech. (Col 3:17)
No matter where you are in life now, you can turn away from the idols of this world and turn toward Christ.
We must turn to Christ and wait on Christ. He is coming back for us!
Christ died for our sin. Christ was raised again. When we trust in Christ we are saved and will be raised again when we die.
1 Thessalonians 2
Walk in a Manner worthy of God
Ministry is work. It is messy. We will be persecuted for loving others and sharing Christ. But God uses us, His people, to share Christ and love others so that they can be saved.
Some of the most loving relationships we can have on earth and for eternity are our spiritual children.
God wants us to lovingly live life next to non-Christians, new Christians, and old mature Christians. It is His plan.
Our heart needs to be loving and godly, displaying a life looking to impact others for Jesus. When people see your heart for God, hear about God, and see your life for God, it impacts them!
Ministry is about others; it is not for our selfish gain. Ministry does give us joy, even though it is difficult.
We are to walk in a manner worthy of God. That means living for God, talking about God, and telling others about God.
New Christians should make it their goal to spend time in prayer, spend time in God's word, and spend time with other mature Christians both in church and outside of church.
We should look forward to Christ coming back, but we should also look forward to taking as many people to heaven with us that we can!
Vs 1-8- We are called to be faithful in spreading the Good News and pouring into others. Though we should look to impact others for Jesus, it is the Lord’s work. Sometimes people respond and sometimes people resist.
We will suffer when we are bold with Jesus. We will be rejected and sometimes ostracized. Some people, however, will turn to Jesus and their life will be changed.
We are not to just share Jesus and abandon people when they accept. We are to keep up with them and pour into them. This is not just the job of pastors. This is what we must do as the church. The church is the people that congregate.
Church is a great place for people to learn and grow, but we need to open our homes and lives to others.
Even when difficult times arise, as Gospel sharers, we need to keep being persistent and bold.
Are you bold with the Good News of Jesus? Are you discipling anyone?
When we share the Gospel with others there are things we must do and some things we must not do!
Here is how we must share the Gospel!
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We must be bold
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We must seek to share in a way that honors God.
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We must share in a Biblically accurate way.
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We must be gentle and loving when we share about Jesus.
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We must share like we are talking to a child, family, or a loved one.
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We must share Christ and share ourselves with others.
Here is how we are not to share the Gospel!
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We must not give up just because of persecution or because it is not accepted.
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We must not share the Gospel in a way that has errors or is not accurate.
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We must not share the Gospel with impure motives or selfishness or pride.
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We must not deceive people with the Gospel. (health and wealth or prosperity)
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We must not share the Gospel in a way that is trying to please man, but only to please God.
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We must not share the Gospel in a greedy way or do it for self-gain.
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We must not share the Gospel in a way that is to get the attention of man or flattery of man.
Vs 9-12 Paul tells this church to remember how he did ministry there.
They labored and toiled. Ministry is hard work.
They did it in a way to not be a burden on the people there.
As Gospel sharers we are to be holy, blameless, and have good conduct toward believers and non-believers.
They challenged the listeners and encouraged them to believe and to mature in Christ.
They walked in a manner worthy of God.
Are you currently walking in a manner worthy of God or in a way that honors God?
Vs 13-16 When people accept Jesus, we need to thank God that He saves and that His Spirit is at work.
People cannot be saved if we do not preach the good news of Jesus to them. The Gospel is not the words of men. The saving knowledge of Christ is the word of God to man.
God works to woo or draw people to Himself. It is God that is working. We are asked to proclaim the Good News and live it out before men and women in the world.
A sign of a true and mature believer in Christ is that they love God, love others, live out the Gospel before others, and tell others the Good News of Jesus.
If Jesus suffered for the Gospel, we will too. We must stand firm even in suffering.
Vs 17-20- We might move or circumstances may remove us from our church family or those that we have poured into for salvation and discipleship, but the bond and love never stops.
Sometimes those that we have impacted on a spiritual level can mean as much to us as our family.
Though our Christian family and friends might move or be far away, we will see them for eternity in heaven. We can look forward to this even when we don’t want to say goodbye here on earth.
Our heart needs to be loving and godly, displaying a life looking to impact others for Jesus.
Ministry is about others; it is not for our selfish gain. Ministry does give us joy, even though it is difficult.
We are to walk in a manner worthy of God. That means living for God, talking about God, and telling others about God.
1 Thessalonians 2:19-3:1-13
Establish and Exhort You in Your Faith
What does Paul want to do in His ministry? Paul wants to present his converts to Christ at the second coming of Jesus! That means that he wants to share the Gospel and pour into those who are saved. Is this something that you aspire to?
The Gospel is not just for us. God designs us to be saved, to grow, and to impact others for Jesus.
What does the church need to do? Pray, worship, study the Bible, serve, gather, give, take the Lord's Supper, and………. Evangelize!
Are you establishing yourself in the Lord? Are you establishing anyone else in their faith? Is someone exhorting you in your faith? Are you exhorting anyone else? Who do you faithfully pour into? Do you have good God relationships in church so that you can be poured into and you can pour into others?
Vs 19-20 We will be punished or rewarded when Jesus comes back. The Non-Christian will have to take on the punishment of their sins. This will be horrifying and terrible. If we repent Christ and ask Him to take control of our lives, we will be saved and rewarded. Salvation comes to all who believe.
Acts 4:11 This Jesus………….12 there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
What kind of rewards will you get in heaven because of your proclamation of the Gospel, your love of the lost and newly saved, your discipleship of others, and your using your spiritual gifts for the Lord?
Vs 1-5 Paul’s love was so great for these new disciples of Christ that he HAD to send someone to minister to them when he could not. He sent Timothy, a trusted brother in his place.
Do you go to others and live life with them so that they can hear about Jesus and see Jesus in you?
Acts 17:10 The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue. 11 Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. 12 Many of them therefore believed, with not a few Greek women of high standing as well as men. 13 But when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that the word of God was proclaimed by Paul at Berea also, they came there too, agitating and stirring up the crowds. 14 Then the brothers immediately sent Paul off on his way to the sea, but Silas and Timothy remained there. 15 Those who conducted Paul brought him as far as Athens, and after receiving a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they departed.
Paul in Athens
16 Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols. 17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there.
God wants us to be saved. God wants us to grow up in Jesus (mature), God wants us to live for Jesus and others, God wants us to proclaim Jesus and pour into those who receive Him. Paul not only proclaimed Jesus, but he also mentored Timothy and others; then, they worked together for the Gospel.
Ministry is messy, but it is not meant to be done alone. Jesus sent His disciples out two by two. God wants us, as the church, to grow and to minister together so that we can impact others for Christ.
2 Thessalonians 1:5-7 The Judgment at Christ's Coming
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— 6 since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, 7 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
2 Timothy 3:12 Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted
We will suffer. We will be tempted. Jesus is coming back and things will be perfect. Give people that hope of Jesus.
God wants us to have people in our lives when we go through hard times. Don’t go through difficulty alone. God has given you a church family!
Vs 6-10 We have a reputation. The people in church know us. What is the reputation of Oak Hill Baptist Church?
Paul sends Timothy to check on the church and he comes back with a great report. We need to support each other and we need to support other churches. We are not in competition. We are all focused on Jesus and making Him famous.
When we go through hard times we need faith. In church or from Christian friends we can remind people in hard times that Jesus is with them and will never forsake them.
Hebrews 13:6 So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”
Vs 11-13 Paul is giving a sweet pastoral prayer for these people and this church that He loves.
He prays for this church and these people to:
Abound in love
To be blameless and holy at Jesus’ second coming
Do you know Jesus?
Do you live for Jesus in your day to day life?
Is someone pouring into you?
Are you pouring into others?
Does your life abound in love, are you holy and blameless, are you ready for the second coming of Jesus?
Who do you need to share Jesus with? Who do you need to love in Jesus? Who do you need to allow to live closer to you, so they can see Jesus in you?