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The Apostle Paul says that to be a Christian is to be “in Christ.” As Paul brings his letter to the Thessalonians to a close, he points to six keys to living the Christian life. It’s the life we are to live until He comes again. Paul points to life in Christ, and a life lived out in the power of the Holy Spirit.
The apostle Paul said it best, “…to live is Christ. To die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). The idea is whether he’s here on this earth, he’s living for Jesus. And when he leaves this earth, he’s going to be with Jesus. So, either way, he wins. Do you look at life and death the same way? How could Paul be so confident and secure? We’re going to talk about how to have courage in life, and in death, as we look at I Thessalonians 4:13-18 in our sermon series “Real Church Real World”.
What pleases God? What is He looking for from you? People are answering that question every day, whether intentionally or just by the choices they make. We all do. I’m glad God didn’t leave us to guess what pleases Him. Paul focuses on several key areas in our message today.
We are a diverse people with different backgrounds, experiences, passions, and gifts. The last year has been hard on churches. There are plenty of things to divide people. How can a diverse group of people find the unity the Lord calls us to? God’s word has a good word on unity.
The blessings of walking through as a follower of Christ are many. At the same time, there are plenty of challenges that can arise from people, circumstances, and Satan’s opposition. How do we bear up as believers? How do we keep our focus in a world where being a Christian isn’t popular? God’s word provides good, practical direction.
Webster defines reputation as “overall quality or character as seen or judged by people in general.” So, what is our reputation? What does our community see in us? The church in Thessalonica had a reputation…life change. How did it happen? What was their secret sauce? How can we be a church that makes a difference in our world?
It is common these days for Christians to be marginalized as radicals, unstable, and hypocrites. Sometimes it happens because society likes to generalize categories of people. Sometimes it is because people who claim to be Christ-followers have earned their poor reputations. What should a real follower of Jesus reflect? Paul shares some key features.
We’re beginning this year in First Thessalonians. Christians in Thessalonica were living in the real-world, with real struggles. It was not an artificial greenhouse of Christian life and faith. For them and for us today, the faithful Christian life requires a great attitude and sustaining motivation.
Our new series in 1 Thessalonians focuses on a local church that seemed to have everything stacked against it. They were surrounded by a pagan culture, opposition to their Gospel message, and the usual challenges of living the Christian life. Paul provided good advice for them and for us.