Sermon preached by Jeff Huber September 30-October 1, 2017 Page! 1

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1 Theme: Transformed by the Le3ers of Paul Thessalonians and the Return of Christ Sermon preached by Jeff Huber September 30-October 1, 2017 Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 4: VIDEO SLIDE Sermon Intro Thessalonians and the Return of Christ I want to invite you to take out of your bulle2n your Message Notes and Medita2on Moments. Your Message Notes have a place for you to write things down and your Medita2on Moments are a chance for you to do an ac2vity with a group or in your family and have a reading plan for you to read 1 and 2 Thessalonians on your own this week. I also want you to have your scripture memory card handy, as we ll be saying it together later in the sermon. Our goal in this series of sermons is to try and help us understand the historical sedng of the leeers of Paul so that, when we read them, they really come alive. These are powerful and profound living words that we some2mes can miss the meaning of because we don t understand the background. God longs to speak to us through them, and we can best hear God if we understand the historical context, and why Paul was wri2ng each of these leeers. Today we are combining 2 leeers into one sermon, which is the only 2me we will do that during this series. We will be looking at the first and second leeers to the people of Thessalonica because they are major themes are similar and were both wrieen at a similar 2me. There historical background is much the same. They are most famous for their teaching on the second coming of Christ and we are going to focus on that one theme today because we don t have 2me to go into the other themes, so we hope you will read them on your own to see the other powerful words in these two leeers. Let s begin by looking at this region and gedng out our map on Paul s second missionary journey. You will see it on the video screen and it is an insert in your bulle2n in case that is easier to see. Paul s Second Missionary Journey On the len-hand side of this map we find modern-day Greece, which was called Macedonia in the first century. Thessalonica is in the top, len-hand por2on of your screen. It was on this journey that Paul finally visited the church at Philippi. The church at Philippi was the first church founded on European soil. Paul len Philippi and traveled on what was the major highway of his day, remnants of which can be seen in this slide. Via IgnaMa out of Philippi This is known as the Roman road and Paul would ve traveled on this from Philippi to Thessalonica. He didn t find a small town but instead a huge city. Thessalonica was one of the largest ci2es in the Roman Empire in his day and he con2nues to be the second largest in modern-day Greece. You can see that the city is on the Aegean Sea. Thessalonica today As you look across the sea, you are able to view Mount Olympus. Mount Olympus Sermon preached by Jeff Huber September 30-October 1, 2017 Page! 1

2 Paul arrives in Thessalonica and immediately goes to the synagogue, which is his rou2ne when he arrives in a new city. He shares with them the Good News that Jesus is the long-awaited Jewish Messiah. If you have your Bibles, turn to Acts 17 where you have a chance to read the story of the founding of the church at Thessalonica. We find them in verses Paul and Silas then traveled through the towns of Amphipolis and Apollonia and came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. 2 As was Paul s custom, he went to the synagogue service, and for three Sabbaths in a row he used the Scriptures to reason with the people. 3 He explained the prophecies and proved that the Messiah must suffer and rise from the dead. He said, This Jesus I m telling you about is the Messiah. 4 Some of the Jews who listened were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with many God-fearing Greek men and quite a few prominent women. We see that Paul had great success in Thessalonica and some were Jews and some were Greek or Gen2le, non-jewish men. They were leaving behind the gods of their culture and believing in the God of Israel revealed in Jesus Christ. Quite a few of the prominent women also believed and so we see once more that the New Testament church was built on the founda2on of women who were pudng their faith in Christ. Those who were not Jewish were probably reached in the marketplace where Paul would preach and teach during the week. Here you see an image of the ruins of the marketplace and Thessalonica. Thessalonica marketplace ruins Paul leads quite a variety of folks to Jesus Christ and they put their trust in him. Immediately, the people running the synagogue were upset with Paul because they didn t buy it. They were an2cipa2ng that when the Jewish Messiah came, there will be a new world order. Jesus clearly had done that because he was crucified. What kind of Messiah is that? The Messiah is not supposed to be crucified. They rejected Paul s claims and in doing so they rejected those who put their trust in Christ. Those people began to migrate out of the synagogue and meet in people s homes. In par2cular, we read about one man named Jason who hosted the church. These believers had their own worship which was paeerned aner the synagogue, but focused on Jesus Christ. You can imagine that when a large group of people len the synagogue to listen to Paul s preaching and worship Jesus as the Messiah, that it does it very well with the Jewish leaders. They decided to snuff out this new movement and they went to the civic authori2es and said, These men, Paul and Silas, are crea2ng trouble in our city. They are turning the world upside down and they are teaching that there is another king beside Caesar. The civic authori2es didn t care about Jewish doctrine or who the Messiah was, but when you start teaching there is another king beside Caesar, that is a serious crime. This makes the Chris2ans sedi2onist, traders and rebels. Authoriza2on was given for some to be brought before the magistrates and arrested. Once it was heard this is happening, Paul and Silas were hidden by the new followers of Jesus in Thessalonica. Instead, Jason, who was hos2ng Chris2an worship, was arrested. He and several others were brought before the authori2es as they were beaten by thugs. They were arrested and fined and then released on bail. That night, Paul and Silas were sent away to Berea, the next town, so they wouldn t be arrested in their ministry would stop. Paul maybe spent a month in Thessalonica because of this upheaval. When you read both leeers to the Thessalonians, you discover that those Chris2ans con2nue to be persecuted and harassed for their faith. Can you imagine, a brand-new Chris2an, only three weeks in their faith, are already arrested? They ve lost their job and they are being pushed around and harassed. People are making fun of them. Be honest, how many of us would be here if, when we first started coming to the church, all our neighbors began to look down upon us? What if people said about things about you because you started coming to church and you were even dismissed from your job? We live in a culture where we can freely worship, but they did not in Thessalonica. Paul eventually makes his way to Athens and he is concerned for the Chris2ans back at Thessalonica. He is worried about them and if they are holding onto their faith. He wants to go back and visit them because he hears they are s2ll suffering. So, Sermon preached by Jeff Huber September 30-October 1, 2017 Page! 2

3 Paul turns to Timothy who is 14 years old at the 2me. Paul says, Timothy, I have to con2nue my ministry here in Athens. I want you to travel on your own back to Thessalonica where they are abusing and harassing Chris2an so you can encourage them. Then bring me back a report. It is a month s journey back to Thessalonica for Timothy. Can you imagine how 14-year-old Timothy might ve felt on this mission trip? We will learn more about Timothy next week, but he goes to see how the Chris2ans are doing and Thessalonica. By the 2me Timothy gets to Thessalonica and spend some 2me there, Paul has made his way back down to Corinth. Let s look at the map again. Paul s Second Missionary Journey Timothy is traveling by foot and it probably takes him two months to get from Thessalonica to Corinth. Timothy gives Paul the report that the Chris2ans in Thessalonica are as strong as ever. Even though they ve been harassed and persecuted, some of them beat up for their faith, they are concerned for you and are praying for you. They are remaining steadfast in their faith. Paul is excited and relieved and he takes out a pen and parchment and begins to write 1 Thessalonians. That s the historical context of this leeer. As you read the leeer, you will hear his Thanksgiving and encouragement toward the Chris2ans in Thessalonica. Timothy also share with Paul several concerns the people in Thessalonica must ve had based on the content of his leeer. One of the concerns was that these new Chris2ans are not connected their faith with their sexuality. In one of the chapters, Paul encourages them that there is a connec2on between their faith and their spiritual life and their sexuality. He doesn t chas2se them, but you can read about what he says this week as he shares some powerful words with them. In chapter 4 is where we find the main focus of these two leeers to the people of Thessalonica. It was a response to a pastoral concern. When Paul was in Thessalonica, he told them that Jesus was coming back soon. The 2me since Paul had been Thessalonica, one of the Chris2ans in the church and died, and they were concerned. They asked Timothy, What about our loved one who has died? Jesus having come back yet. What has happened to them? Will we ever see them again? Is there any hope for them, since Christ has not returned yet? They were anxious about their loved one, and in response to that Paul writes these words we have in 1 Thessalonians And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died.15 We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are svll living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the ChrisVans who have died will rise from their graves. 17 Then, together with them, we who are svll alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. 18 So encourage each other with these words. This raises all kinds of ques2ons that we don t have 2me to deal with in this sermon. I cover many of these ques2ons in another sermon series that we did on life aner death. You could find no sermons on our website, and I ll deal with some of them in my VLOG this week that you can find in our weekly e-newsleeer and on our website. What I want to focus on right now is what the Bible teaches us about the end 2mes and the second coming of Christ. This passage in Thessalonians has been a major source of inspira2on in books and literature and movies about the second coming of Christ. So, what does the Bible teaches about the second coming of Christ? Let s begin with the Old Testament, or the Hebrew Bible. The phrase that is used in the Old Testament is not the second coming, but rather, The Day of the Lord. Sermon preached by Jeff Huber September 30-October 1, 2017 Page! 3

4 SLIDE Day of the Lord. The day of the Lord was some2mes referred to as a wonderful and joyous day, and other 2mes is referred to as a terrifying day. Here s the difference. When Israel was in cap2vity and they were slaves in Babylon and Assyria, the prophet said that, the day of the Lord is coming when the Babylonians and Assyrians will be destroyed and Israel will make its way back to the promised land. All the mountains will be brought low in the valleys shall be filled in. The great and wondrous day of the Lord will come and on that day, swords will be built into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks. The lions shall lay down with the lamb, and a limle child will lead them. You might recognize those words we some2mes read at Christmas from the prophet Isaiah. It was the promise of the day of the Lord which was a promise of hope and encouragement for Israel hold on 2ght to their faith because God would restore all things one day. But when Israel was back in Pales2ne, and things were going well, the people had a natural tendency to turn their back on God. That s just like some of us really. When things are going well, we really don t need our faith quite so much. During those moments, the profits would preach, beware, the day of the Lord is coming and it will not be wonderful and sweet, but instead will be a day of wrath and judgment, so be ready. Both the posi2ve and nega2ve pictures of the day of the Lord began to be associated with a special king that would come. That King would be called the Anointed One, which in Hebrew means Messiah. This Messiah would come as a King and usher in the day of the Lord. We who are Chris2ans believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the long-awaited one who would come and restore all things. But the Jews would then ask this appropriate ques2on, If Jesus was the Messiah who was to bring a new world order, then what happened? Jesus didn t do those things. He taught and he healed and he died on the cross and he rose again. That doesn t sound like the witness of the Old Testament. Jesus said that the day of judgment in the end 2mes would come, but God wanted to give humanity one last opportunity to see how much he loved them. God wanted to reach out to the Gen2les and all the world to share his love. Jesus said that the kingdom of God is now and not yet. The kingdom of God is breaking into the world and is upon us, but it has not fully arrived. This is why we pray the prayer that Jesus taught us SLIDE Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Jesus says that he is defea2ng evil and death in his death and resurrec2on, but his final victory won t come un2l he returns once again. Jesus talks about this in MaEhew 24, in what s known as the apocalypse or the revela2on of MaEhew s gospel. We don t have 2me to read the en2re chapter, so we ll just look at verses 30 and 31. Jesus says these words. 30 And then at last, the sign that the Son of Man is coming will appear in the heavens, and there will be deep mourning among all the peoples of the earth. And they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And he will send out his angels with the mighty blast of a trumpet, and they will gather his chosen ones from all over the world from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven. He con2nues this theme in MaEhew 25:31 where he says. 31 But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne. 32 All the navons will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. Jesus tells us that he is not even sure when this will happen, but this is the picture that we have the New Testament, that Jesus came to defeat sin and darkness and death and that he will come again one day when God will write every wrong and there will be a new heaven and a new earth. So, how do we understand this? Oscar Cullman was a theologian in the 20 th century who wrote a book called, Christ and Time. He wrote just aner World War II and he has a great way of expressing this that I find helpful. He says that there was a past Sermon preached by Jeff Huber September 30-October 1, 2017 Page! 4

5 ! age from crea2on un2l the birth of Christ. In that past age, people knew God through the law and they made sacrifices like we find in the Old Testament. Israel was meant to be a light to the na2ons and they were redeemed by their sacrifices and worship of God. There was a promise that the world would change one day. When Christ was born, we recognize that the world did change through his life. Cullman likened the birth of Christ and his first coming to D-Day. The people who were listening to him talk in 1951 understood D-Day. That was the day in World War II when the United States joined together with the Allied forces to storm Normandy in France. This was the decisive baele of World War II in 1944 led by Gen. Dwight D Eisenhower. Hitler was driven back and that was the decisive baele and from that 2me forward, World War II and its victory belong to the allies. The 2de was turned forever, and there was no way Hitler could come back from the defeat, but the war was not over for another year as Hitler con2nued to wage war. VE-Day, which was victory in Europe, did not come un2l May 8, 1945 and August 6, 1945 was VJ day, which was victory in Japan. At that point, there was peace in the final armis2ce was signed and there was the end of World War II. Cullmann used this metaphor to say that when Christ came it was like D-Day. It was the decisive baele in human history in which Jesus broke into this world, God in the flesh, to teach us what it means to be human. God extended his grace to us and died on the cross. In dying on the cross, he put to death our death. He offered grace to the world and at the same 2me defeated evil and all its plans. The resurrec2on of Jesus from the dead proves to us that God owns the victory in the worst thing in our life will never be the last thing. We know when we look at the life and death and resurrec2on of Jesus, symbolizing the cross, that we ve seen D-Day, the decisive baele in human history where the victory was one. From this 2me forward, 2me is even different because of that baele. But, the war is not yet over, and the enemy does not quite understand that he has been decisively defeated. So, there is s2ll evil in our world. There is s2ll pain and suffering in our world, but we as people of faith know how the story ends. We have read the end of the book and we understand that the victory day will come when Christ returns and he soundly and completely defeats evil. There will be a new heaven and a new earth and this is the biblical picture of 2me. Cullmann s Vision of History's Shape While the Gospels describe D-Day and the coming of Christ into the world as the center of history, the Scripture in Thessalonians that we read today and a handful of others in the New Testament, describe the V-Day and God s ul2mate and final victory at the second coming of Christ. It s here we Chris2ans get fascinated about how this is all going to happen, when it comes to the final victory. Many people have tried to piece together various parts of the Bible to understand this 2meline. It s been fodder for some great selling Chris2an literature like the LeN Behind series and movies by Timothy LaHaye and, for those of us a bit older, The Late Great Planet Earth by Hal Lindsay. Those two are in the top 10 of the best-selling Chris2an books of all 2me. If you need more proof that we are fascinated with these ideas, two more books on that list, The Chronicles of Narnia and the Lord of the Rings trilogy, are fantasy fic2onal Sermon preached by Jeff Huber September 30-October 1, 2017 Page! 5

6 aeempts to help us understand good and evil and the end 2mes. According to the LeN Behind books and The Late Great Planet Earth, here s how they depict things unfolding. Just before the second coming of Christ, whenever that is, and both presume it will be very soon, the Lord is going to first come and it won t be a true second coming but more like 1 ½. Jesus will be in the upper atmosphere and the trumpet will blow, the Angels will shout, and the Lord s own people will be raptured or raised up into the heavens. The word rapture never occurs in the New Testament, but that is a term that is used to describe this raising up of the dead as well as those who are alive who belong to Christ. This will include true Chris2ans as well as children below the age of accountability and can answer for themselves because they are innocent in the eyes of the Lord. They all head up into the sky. You remember the great gospel songs about this, I ll fly away. That phone was based on the Scripture passage in Thessalonians. Jesus appears in the upper atmosphere and the believers meet them in the clouds up in the air and he takes them back to heaven. Then there is depicted a seven-year 2me which can only be described as hell on earth. This is the great tribula2on in which rings get really, really bad and there is suffering and terrible judgments poured out. Most of the things you read in the book of Revela2on are said to happen during this 2me of tribula2on in these two books, including the revealing of an an2christ. Only John uses this term and he uses it in the plural to describe anyone who rejects Jesus. Paul describes this figure as the lawless man, and he comes is someone who appears to bring peace, but he really is trying to deceive humanity and lead people far away from God. Some who are len behind put their trust in God, but the rest are struggling and moving towards judgment. At the end of those seven years, the Lord comes for his second coming, or his third coming depending on how you are coun2ng. He does come all the way to the earth and he brings with him all who have died. He binds Satan at that moment for 1000 years. He gives the opportunity for those on earth who have received him to reign with him for 1000 years. Those who did not receive him are cast into the lake of fire as judgment. At the end of that 1000 years, he lets Satan go for liele while, to try to deceive the na2ons once more. At the end of that decep2on, he finally and decisively defeats the devil, forever and ever. There is a new heaven and a new earth and all things begin anew. What s interes2ng about that view is that Chris2anity didn t know about this view un2l the 1900s. Some folks who are studying the Bible in the early 1900s took a liele bit of Daniel and a liele bit of Ezekiel, a smidge of MaEhew, and a bit of 1 Corinthians 15, with Thessalonians mixed in with revela2on, came up with this plan. I m not saying it s wrong and a very may well play out that way. I m not God, but I do want us to recognize is not the only way to look at the Scriptures. Let me offer an alterna2ve understanding. First, most of the book of Revela2on, according to an alterna2ve view, was wrieen for the people who lived about 95 A.D. and it describes the events that were taking place at that 2me. Only the last couple of chapters wrieen are about the end 2me and the promises that come then. It was wrieen in metaphorical and symbolic language, like a Picasso when he was pain2ng geometric images. It stands for something bigger than it is but it shouldn t be taken literally. Most of the book of Revela2on was wrieen in this way for the people in the first century, except for the last chapters which were wrieen for all people. Second, when it comes to reading the Scriptures, we always interpret the murkier passages that are confusing in light of those that are easier to understand. It s interes2ng because we onen take the hard to understand passages and then make all the easy to understand passages try to fit into them. If you take the easier passages from the words of Jesus in MaEhew 24 and 25 and Paul s words in Thessalonians, then here is what you come up with. The world is going to get worse and worse and worse, unvl Jesus comes back. When he comes back, he s really coming back and that s all she wrote. Jesus says there will be wars and rumors of wars and earthquakes and false messiahs. He is talking to his disciples and warning them to watch out for these things, so they will apparently be there when all these things take place. I like the view that we are going to get taken up into heaven before all the bad stuff comes a lot Sermon preached by Jeff Huber September 30-October 1, 2017 Page! 6

7 beeer, but when I read the Scriptures and the plainest sense, it seems like we will be around for the really bad stuff if Christ comes back in our life2me. Here s what worries me. In Thessalonians we read about Chris2ans, who within a few weeks of their conversion, are already being thrown in jail, and yet they remain steadfast in their faith. Paul is trying to encourage them with these words of hope. I get worried because we are a group of Chris2ans who like to be comfortable. We like things convenient and we don t want to suffer. I recently had someone tell me they were come to church very onen because it was too hard to get in and out of the parking lot. Usually, on cold and rainy days, our aeendance drops. When the Broncos play early, our aeendance drops. When the weather is nice and beau2ful our aeendance drops. When it s a powder day our aeendance drops. When it s a soccer weekend in Grand Junc2on or Albuquerque or Flagstaff, our aeendance drops. How are we supposed to make it to the tribula2on? If we struggle with being a Chris2an when it s not convenient, how are we going to make it when it requires suffering? Maybe that won t happen in our life2me and we won t have to worry about it, but as your pastor I am a bit concerned because here s the truth. It s easy for most of us to be fair weather Chris2ans. I know it is for me and I m guessing it is for you as well. It s easy to be a Chris2an when it s convenient and nobody is asking anything of me, or it s not difficult. What happens when things get really tough? The truth is that life will get stormy and difficult and what passages like Thessalonians ask of us is this: Are we ready? Many 2mes, when things get bad in life, we turn away from God because we expected beeer. Paul and Jesus are both telling us that when things get bad we shouldn t turn away, but it is then we should hold on 2ght. Hold on 2ght and know that these kind of things are going to happen before the end comes. The disciples even asked Jesus to tell them when this is going to happen and when the end 2mes were going to come, and Jesus frustrated them by telling them he didn t know. We can understand why. I think Jesus didn t tell us for two reasons. If Jesus told us that it was going to happen in 45 years, what would we do? We probably would wait 44 years and 364 days before we got ready. That s just who we are as humans. Or, we would fret about it all the 2me and kill ourselves with anxiety, and in the process miss out on the life God has in store for us. The people in Thessalonica asked Paul the same ques2on and here is what he told them about the second coming in chapter 5, verse 1. 1 Now concerning how and when all this will happen, dear brothers and sisters, we don t really need to write you. 2 For you know quite well that the day of the Lord s return will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night. Jesus will show up unexpectedly, when people are taking things for granted. The first disciples believed that Jesus was coming back in their life2me, but then they realized at the end of the New Testament period that it might not happen. Peter writes this in 2 Peter 3:8-10a. 8 But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. 9 The Lord isn t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being pavent for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. 10 But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Aren t you glad Jesus didn t come back hundred years ago? You would ve never been born. The Lord postponing his return was so that we might have life, and we might be one of his children and get to spend eternity with him. It s not the God is slow and returning, but rather that God has a dream that as many children as possible can join him in the kingdom. When is Jesus going to come back? I have no idea. Some predicted the world would end last week in others are predic2ng it will be next week or some2me next year. Some say the an2christ is already alive and Sermon preached by Jeff Huber September 30-October 1, 2017 Page! 7

8 walking the earth and ready to be revealed. Some of you might think of someone you know is the an2christ! I think if I had been alive in 1944, I would ve thought that Hitler was the an2christ and it would have seemed like a 2me the Lord was coming back. I was mee2ng with one of our older members recently who has been married for 60 years. He grew up in a Pentecostal church where he was told that Jesus was coming back very soon, so he and his wife got married when they were 17! Just in case! But Jesus didn t come back, not yet. Jesus will come back. The world will not go on the way it is forever. Of that we can be sure. The scien2sts tell us that one day the earth will collapse in the sun, perhaps 1 billion years from now. They say that an asteroid may hit the planet in the next 1000 years. But I don t think it will be from either of those things. The day will come when God says, Enough. It s 2me for victory. It s 2me for the party, which is the kingdom of God. It s 2me for a new heaven and a new earth. I do believe that will happen one day. The truth is that none of us knows when Christ will return. It may happen today before we get home, or maybe 10,000 years from now. I do know that between now and one year from now we will do 20 or more of your funerals. I don t know which 20 will be. It may be children or young people or middle-age or older members. None of us know the day or the hour, which leads us to the real reason why Paul included these passages of Scripture. He does it first, to encourage us that there is something wai2ng for us that his victory. Second, he is asking this ques2on. Are you ready? SLIDE Are you ready? If today is the day the Lord calls you, are you ready to meet him face-to-face? Would he say, Well done, good and faithful servant, enter into your rest? Or would he say, I never knew you? That is an important ques2on for us to answer as we gather for worship and it is meant to bring us hope as we are able to say, Yes. I belong to Christ. That is what this meal is about today. We gather around this table, not out of fear for what might come, but out of assurance that God made us to love us and longs to meet us face-to-face. This meal is meant to be a tangible and physical reminder of the grace of God through Jesus Christ which brings us the final victory, regardless of the anxiety and the world or in our lives. So, we are invited to this table today as a way of preparing our hearts for the coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. This table is our way of saying we want to belong to Christ, and to know we are ready. SLIDE SLIDE Communion Prayer Sermon preached by Jeff Huber September 30-October 1, 2017 Page! 8

9 Thessalonians - The Return of Christ Theme: The LeXers of Paul Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 4: Things I d like to remember from today s sermon Family/Community AcMvity for the week: In Thessalonians, Paul is wri2ng to people who felt lonely and sad because someone they love has died. We feel that way some2mes too. For this ac2vity, you will need a Bible, a blank sheet of wrapping paper or newsprint to cover a doorway in your home, a marker and some tape. Gather together and have someone read 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 aloud. Discuss why God wants us to spend 2me in prayer and what keeps us from praying at 2mes. Write down everyone s obstacles, disappointments, and roadblocks on the large piece of paper. When everyone has responded, tape the paper to the doorway. Together, break through the paper covered in disappointments, sad 2mes, and barriers and walk through to the other side. Pray together as a family and ask God to be with you and to help you work through the tough 2mes. MeditaMon Moments for Monday, October 2 - Read 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10. This last week in worship we talked about how the Chris2ans in Thessalonica were being persecuted for their faith in Christ. We can expect trials and troubles as well. Paul writes to encourage them (and us) to remain faithful in the midst of tough stuff. The Holy Spirit was the key, Paul believed, to remain strong in faith, be able to show genuine love to others, and maintain our moral character even when we are being persecuted, slandered or oppressed. In an age without mass or social media, how do you suppose the faith of the Thessalonian Chris2ans became so legendary? What kind of model are you in maeers of faith s2ll on the drawing board? A work in progress? Secured in private collec2on? On display in the Na2onal Museum? Which of the quali2es in verse 3 do you most wish to see developed in your life? Prayer: Lord Jesus, help to have faith as deep and wide as those early followers of Jesus in Thessalonica, even in the face of difficult Qmes. May I rely on your Holy Spirit to give me strength and guidance. Amen. Tuesday, October 3 Read 1 Thessalonians 2: This chapter deals with the rumors that were being spread about Paul and those early leaders in the church. What rumors seem to be spread about Paul in verse 1-6? Sermon preached by Jeff Huber September 30-October 1, 2017 Page! 9

10 List the characteris2cs of a faithful Chris2an worker given in this passage. Which of those do you possess? Which do you want to develop? Who has been a posi2ve influence on you to live a life of faith? How so? How can you be a posi2ve influence for someone this week? What turns you off about the way some people present the Gospel? How are you aeemp2ng to avoid making these mistakes, and yet maintain a strong witness to your faith? What opposi2on to your faith are you facing? What encourages you to persevere? Prayer: God, thank you for those who have had a powerful influence on my faith (name them here if you like.) Help me to be that for others, sharing the Gospel with my acqons and not just my words. Wednesday, October 4 Read 1 Thessalonians 2:17 to 3:13. Why do you think Paul called the Thessalonian Church his hope, joy and crown? If Paul promised them trials and persecu2on when he was with them, why is he wri2ng them about it now? What in Timothy s report par2cularly encouraged Paul? What guidelines can you find in Paul s desires, concerns and prayers for those who disciple new Chris2ans today? If someone were to tell you that God promises a trouble free life to those who are true Chris2ans, how would you respond? What are you struggling with most right now? In what specific ways have you been encouraged by someone else s faith? Have you told them about it? Which of Paul s prayer requests would you want someone to pray for you? Prayer: (Pray verse for someone you know.) Thursday, October 5 Read 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12. New Testament Chris2ans lived in a world where lust and immorality were a given. In many Roman and Greek ci2es, temples devoted to Aphrodite or Venus, goddesses of love, sold the services of pros2tutes! In 1 Thessalonians Paul made it clear to his converts that God was calling them to break from their culture, and live in new ways. Compare and contrast the adtudes and values about sex in the Greek and Roman world 2000 years ago with adtudes in our world today. How many films or TV shows suggest that you shouldn t be controlled by your sexual urges? In what ways has our culture shaped your adtudes and life story, and those of people close to you? In verse 6 Paul chose verbs that mean harm, wrong and take advantage of. How much beeer would our world be if everyone resolved to never mistreat or take advantage of another person in the realm of sexual behavior? In what ways does this cast light on the type of spiritual damage that an impure life can do to both par2es? How does this language speak to the common idea that pros2tu2on or promiscuity are vic2mless ac2vi2es? Prayer: Lord Jesus, I want to live a life dedicated to you. Guard my heart and mind from all the influences that seek to move me away from that kind of life, and help me to live as you call me to live. Amen. Friday, October 6 Read 1 Thessalonians 4: 13 to 5: 11 and Psalm 46:1-7. Earthquakes and tsunamis, hurricanes and tornados make us painfully aware that what we call solid ground can, in fact, fall apart. But most of us feel a much greater daily impact from health problems, broken rela2onships, financial crises, and tragic deaths. Individual and family worlds fall apart regularly. How do we hold things together when our world is falling apart? By ourselves, we don t. That s why, again and again, even lament psalms turned to this assurance: God is our refuge and strength, a help always near in 2mes of great trouble. Psalm 46:4 might sound like a travel guide un2l we realize that no river flows through the earthly city of Jerusalem. God s city isn t one limited earthly loca2on it s an image of God s caring for all of God s people. The river points us back to crea2on (Genesis 2:10) and forward to God s ul2mate victory (2 Thess. 4.). What have you found that helps you let the river of God s steadfast love pour energy, comfort and power into your life? How can you ground your spiritual life firmly in the world of this psalm, where God is in that city. It will never crumble and God will help when morning dawns? Prayer: Lord God, when my heart fills with joy, please, receive my praise (Psalm 100). When I m in the darkest valley and my heart breaks, please, be ever near me (Psalm 23). When I m anxious and afraid, please, protect and cover me with your wings (Psalm 91:1-6). When I stumble, please, forgive and restore (Psalm 51). When I m angry at your perceived neglect, please, remind me to trust your steadfast love (Psalm 13). Amen. Sermon preached by Jeff Huber September 30-October 1, 2017 Page! 10

11 Saturday, October 7 Read 2 Thessalonians 3:1-18. A recent Bureau of Labor Sta2s2cs survey said that, on average, employed Americans age with children sleep 7.7 hours a day. Of the remaining 16.3 hours, people in that group average 2.5 hours of leisure 2me. It is essen2al to determine where in your day you have spare 2me. You must also find what you should do with that 2me. This is not a 2me to answer s you didn t get to during your hours of work! John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, proposed this as a key ques2on for Chris2ans so that we can determine which ac2vi2es help us be refreshed, renewed and refocused on the essen2al priori2es of our lives. Wesley (and Jesus) both want to make sure that we are not was2ng 2me that we could be using to strengthen our daily pursuit of becoming commieed followers of Jesus. What ac2vi2es bring you the most enjoyment and make you feel the most refreshed and energized? How much of your spare 2me do you spend on these pursuits? If it s less than you would like, how can you restructure your 2me so that you are spending it in ways that bring life? Make a spare 2me map of your week. For one week, record everything honestly, (for only your eyes). Be specific enough so that you can spot spare 2me paeerns to help you evaluate your map. Use the calendar or notes func2ons on your phone to help you, or jot down notes in your desk calendar or porxolio, if that works best for you. Prayer: God, may I use my spare Qme in way(s) that please you. Help me develop the consistent pracqces needed to use the Qme I have wisely. Amen. Sermon preached by Jeff Huber September 30-October 1, 2017 Page! 11