September 13th, 2021
Hello, my name is Paul. It's been a while . . .
This Sunday, August 8, we will be looking at 1 Thessalonians 4:1-3. For three chapters in the book of Thessalonians, the Apostle Paul has been encouraging, teaching, explaining, reminiscing, and reminding the believers in Thessalonica about their spiritual journey. Where they've come from, where they are, where they are going in their relationship with Jesus. In chapter 4 of 1 Thessalonians, Paul changes his tone and puts on his coaching hat and whistle and begins to coach up the Thessalonians. We see Paul's coaching from the start. See 2 Thessalonians 4:1:
Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more.
Paul is pleading (NKJV = "urge and exhort" / ESV = "ask and urge") with these believers to keep it up!!!
To keep walking their spiritual journey of faith to "please God" (1). Apparently, this is exactly what they were doing as Paul says in verse 1 (ESV) - "just as you are doing . . . ". The believers of Thessalonica were doing well spiritually in their pursuit of holiness. God was doing a work of transformation in their lives and they were now genuine Christ followers and this greatly encouraged Coach Paul, so he claps his hands, gets them in a huddle, and says, "Keep it up! Do what you're doing and abound more and more (NKJV) in what you're doing".
Paul was happy with the progress and spiritual growth in these Thessalonians but he wanted them to continue to grow. To keep up what they were doing.
Sunday we will look into what they were doing that pleased Paul. (See 1 Thessalonians 1:6-10) We will look into what is involved in "walking to please God" as a follower of Jesus.
In verse 3 of chapter 4, Paul brings up the Biblical teaching of "sanctification" as being part of God's will for these young Christians. The plea for the Thessalonians was:
1. Keep walking to please God (1)
2. Keep doing the will of God (3)
God's will involves us living sanctified lives. Lives where we are set apart from sin and are pursuing holiness.
God's will in this specific context is to sanctify (set apart) from sexual sin and immorality. And Coach Paul pleads with Team Thessalonica to get away from the sexual sins that would bring them down spiritually and grieve the heart of God.
Are you walking to please God? Keep it up!!!
Are you doing the will of God by being sanctified (set apart) from sexual sin? Keep it up!!!
This is the message of the Apostle Paul to the believers in Thessalonica and it's also his message to us today.
I hope to see you Sunday as we come together to worship our great God and hear from Him through His word.
God Bless and see you soon,
Pastor Paul
This Sunday, August 8, we will be looking at 1 Thessalonians 4:1-3. For three chapters in the book of Thessalonians, the Apostle Paul has been encouraging, teaching, explaining, reminiscing, and reminding the believers in Thessalonica about their spiritual journey. Where they've come from, where they are, where they are going in their relationship with Jesus. In chapter 4 of 1 Thessalonians, Paul changes his tone and puts on his coaching hat and whistle and begins to coach up the Thessalonians. We see Paul's coaching from the start. See 2 Thessalonians 4:1:
Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more.
Paul is pleading (NKJV = "urge and exhort" / ESV = "ask and urge") with these believers to keep it up!!!
To keep walking their spiritual journey of faith to "please God" (1). Apparently, this is exactly what they were doing as Paul says in verse 1 (ESV) - "just as you are doing . . . ". The believers of Thessalonica were doing well spiritually in their pursuit of holiness. God was doing a work of transformation in their lives and they were now genuine Christ followers and this greatly encouraged Coach Paul, so he claps his hands, gets them in a huddle, and says, "Keep it up! Do what you're doing and abound more and more (NKJV) in what you're doing".
Paul was happy with the progress and spiritual growth in these Thessalonians but he wanted them to continue to grow. To keep up what they were doing.
Sunday we will look into what they were doing that pleased Paul. (See 1 Thessalonians 1:6-10) We will look into what is involved in "walking to please God" as a follower of Jesus.
In verse 3 of chapter 4, Paul brings up the Biblical teaching of "sanctification" as being part of God's will for these young Christians. The plea for the Thessalonians was:
1. Keep walking to please God (1)
2. Keep doing the will of God (3)
God's will involves us living sanctified lives. Lives where we are set apart from sin and are pursuing holiness.
God's will in this specific context is to sanctify (set apart) from sexual sin and immorality. And Coach Paul pleads with Team Thessalonica to get away from the sexual sins that would bring them down spiritually and grieve the heart of God.
Are you walking to please God? Keep it up!!!
Are you doing the will of God by being sanctified (set apart) from sexual sin? Keep it up!!!
This is the message of the Apostle Paul to the believers in Thessalonica and it's also his message to us today.
I hope to see you Sunday as we come together to worship our great God and hear from Him through His word.
God Bless and see you soon,
Pastor Paul
Posted in 1 Thessalonians
Tagged with 1 Thessalonians, Thessalonians, Encouragement, Pleasing God, Grow
Tagged with 1 Thessalonians, Thessalonians, Encouragement, Pleasing God, Grow
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