Notices – “EQUIP 2020 – Holding Out Hope”
Opening thought Ps84 door keeper – sons of Kohath
Song1 Praise to the Lord the Almighty the King of creation
Prayer
Reading 1Thess 1
1 Paul, Silas and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace and peace to you.
Thanksgiving for the Thessalonians’ faith
2 We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers.
3 We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labour prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
4 For we know, brothers and sisters[b] loved by God, that he has chosen you,
5 because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake.
6 You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.
7 And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia.
8 The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia – your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it,
9 for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God,
10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead – Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.
Song2 Jesus is Lord – Stuart Townend
Study: Our attitude in the light of the return of Christ which is an INSPIRING HOPE (to serve and wait)
Intro – Paul writes his letter, along with Timothy and Silas, to the church in Thessalonica. He only spent a short time there but heard great things of them.
As Paul, along with Timothy and Silas, writes this letter his main PURPOSE is threefold:
1 To confirm believers in the basic truth of the gospel.
2 To encourage them to go on to holy living.
3 To comfort them regarding the return of Christ.
V3 Paul links three Christian graces together, what are they and where else are they to be found? faith … love … hope. A common Pauline triad (cf. 5:8; Rom. 5:2–5; 1 Cor. 13:13; Gal. 5:5–6; Eph. 4:2–5).
V5 How was the gospel given? How should it be given today? Power, Holy Spirit, deep conviction
V7 Being examples. How can we be examples to others? What are those qualities we should show?
V9,10 What did they turn from and what two things did they go on to do?
The two things found in V9 and 10 have strong links to the graces found in v3 How can we use those three graces to both serve and wait?
The Thessalonians appeared to be quite fearful and confused about the future hope. How do you feel about the future? About death? And about Jesus coming again?
Close with song Lo! He comes with clouds descending