Thessalonians Standing Firm Series – Autumn 2023
1 Thessalonians: Standing Firm
Events in our lives and in our world can, at times, cause us to doubt in a good, loving and faithful God. Yet we remember that Jesus told us that “in this world we will have trouble, but to ‘take heart’ because He has overcome the world.” (John 16:33)
The early church in Thessalonica needed to be strengthened in their faith and they wrote to the Apostle Paul for clarification about Christ’s return and how they should live in light of it. Paul’s words were an encouragement to them and to us today! You can watch the whole sermon series here.
You can tell an automotive mechanic by his or her blackened hands. Grease has settled under the fingernails and into the greases of their fingers and palms.
A weightlifter we can spot from their physique. Bulging muscles honed by hours lifting weights at the gym or at home are displayed in their body.
We can spot a soon-to-be mom by her protruding stomach and her swaying walk.
But how do you spot a Christian? What are the tell-tale signs? There are no distinguishing physical characteristics are there? We are old and young, thin and stout, balding and with full heads of hair. We come from all nations and ethnicities. Some were born into Christian families and raised in the faith and others came to faith in mid-life. We are hard to spot because being a Christian is less about appearance and more about behaviour. Our attitudes and our actions reveal more about what we believe than our lips. Talk, as they say, is cheap.
So how can you tell if you are a true Christian? Join us to learn more!
A two -year old’s favourite word may very well be: “mine.” These little people can be very territorial and often are unwilling to cooperate with siblings or playmates in taking turns to use a beloved toy. Thus begins one of the many tasks of parenthood: teaching children to share. Jesus, our Saviour and brother also teaches us throughout scripture that we too are to share. What exactly are we to share? Just this: You are a beloved Child of God, made in His image. God loves you so much that he sent his only Son, Jesus Christ to die in your place. Believe in Him and what he has done on your behalf and you will have eternal life. The only cost of entry is this: believe, accept, receive the gift that Christ offers you. It’s a great message to share. Yet isn’t it true that sometimes our motives in sharing aren’t entirely pure? We want our church to grow, to reclaim our glory days…so our message morphs into “come join our church” instead of “you have entry into an eternal kingdom.” How can we check that our motive, method and content in sharing the gospel is pure? Join us to find out!
This Sunday we marked Remembrance Day. Jesus asks us to be peacemakers in our world. As we witness disturbing images of war from the Middle East we may feel helpless to do much. Yet we can work for peace in our families, workplaces, and church (!) by committing to learn how to resolve conflicts before they escalate. What better way to honour our veterans who fought not only for freedom from war, but also for peace and harmony in our lives. To help us we will study the Thessalonian church with that of the Church at Corinth and compare how each maintained peace and love (or not). If you’d like to read ahead to prepare, our featured scriptures will be 1 Corinthians 3:1-15 and 1 Thessalonians 2:17-3:13.
Our Western culture has this push-pull relationship with death. On the one hand we wish to push it away, put it at the back of our minds and not think about it or plan for it. On the other hand, death pulls us in. Many of our TV shows and movies depict violent death, or ideas about the afterlife or explore supernatural themes of heaven, angels or apocalypse take centre stage.The early believers in the church of Thessalonica also had a concern about death…they became concerned when some of their members died, believing they had missed out on salvation because Christ had not yet returned. The Apostle Paul writes to reassure them (and us) that they have not “missed the boat” so to speak. Indeed those who have died in Christ, will be the first to rise and to obtain their new imperishable bodies when he returns to earth. This can help us banish our fear and also an unhealthy preoccupation with death and live instead of people of hope — hope in our daily living and hope for a new eternal life after death. Featured scriptures will be Romans 8:31-39 and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.