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RETURN TO SYLLABUS
1 THESSALONIANS 1:1-10
LESSON #03
THE THREE CHRISTIAN GRACES
v MEMORYVERSE: 1 THESSALONIANS 1:7
v READ1THE 1:1-3 THE THREE CHRISTIAN GRACES
Ø PAULADDRESSES THIS LETTER WITH A MENTION OF HIMSELF, SILVANUS (SILAS), AND TIMOTHEUS (TIMOTHY)WHO ARE WITH HIM.
§ WHO WAS SILAS (SILVANUS)?
· HEWAS A LEADING MEMBER OF THE CHURCH IN JERUSALEM. SILAS IS PROBABLY HIS JEWISH NAME, WHILESILVANUS IS THE ROMAN FORM OF THE NAME.
· THEJERUSALEM CHURCH SENT HIM TO WELCOME GENTILES INTO THE FAMILY OF GOD AFTER THE JERUSALEMCOUNCIL IN ACTS 15.
· SILASWENT WITH PAUL ON HIS SECOND MISSIONARY JOURNEY AFTER BARNABAS SEPARATED FROM PAUL TO TAKEMARK WITH HIM.
§ WHO WAS TIMOTHY(TIMOTHEUS)?
· HEWAS THE SON OF A MIXED MARRIAGE. HIS MOTHER WAS A JEW AND HIS FATHER WAS A GREEK GENTILE.
· HEWAS PROBABLY CONVERTED TO CHRIST ON PAULS FIRST MISSIONARY JOURNEY THROUGH HIS HOMETOWN OF LYSTRA.
· MANYOF PAULS LETTERS MENTION TIMOTHY. PAUL ADDRESSES THE BOOKS OF 1 AND 2 TIMOTHY TOTHIS WELL-LOVED, FAITHFUL CHRISTIAN.
Ø GRACEAND PEACE: (1)
§ PAUL USUALLY BEGINS A BOOKWITH THESE TWO WORDS. IT IS A FORMAL GREETING OF THAT TIME.
· THE WORD GRACE WAS A GENTILEGREETING.
· THE WORD PEACE (SHALOM) WAS AJEWISH GREETING.
§ PAUL PUTS GRACE FIRSTBECAUSE GODS GRACE MUST BE EXPERIENCED BEFORE YOU CAN EXPERIENCE GODS PEACE.
· BOTHGRACE AND PEACE COME FROM GOD, THE FATHER, AND FROM JESUS CHRIST, GODS SON.
Ø PAULPRAYS FOR THE CHURCHES HE FOUNDED. (2)
§ FOR WHAT IS PAUL THANKFULIN THIS CHURCH AT THESSALONICA?
· THISCHURCH HAD A WORK OF FAITH, A LABOR OF LOVE, AND PATIENT HOPE.
¨ PAULCONSIDERED THIS A MODEL CHURCH. HOW DO WE KNOW THIS?
Ø PAULTELLS US IN VERSE 7 THAT THIS CHURCH WAS AN EXAMPLE TO OTHERS.
Ø OFTENWHEN PAUL WROTE A LETTER TO A CHURCH, IT BEGAN WITH A MENTION OF ANY OR ALL OF THESE THREEWORDS: FAITH, HOPE, AND LOVE. HE WOULD CALL ATTENTION TO WHICH OF THE THREE WAS LACKING INTHE CHURCH BY COMMENDING THEM FOR WHICH OF THE THREECHARACTERISTICS THEY POSSESSED.
§ THIS CHURCH IN THESSALONICAWAS COMMENDED FOR ALL THREE: FAITH, LOVE, ANDHOPE.
· WHATCHARACTERISTICS MAKE THIS A MODEL CHURCH?
¨ FAITH:
Ø THISCHURCH WAS PREACHING THE GOSPEL SO PEOPLE WERE SAVED BY FAITH.
§ THIS WAS A PASTEVENT IN THE EXPERIENCE OF THESE PEOPLE IN THAT CHURCH.
Ø THEPEOPLE WERE TRUSTING GOD IN THEIR DAILY LIFE, SO THEY WERE WALKING BY FAITH.
¨ LOVE:
Ø THECHURCH PREACHED THE LOVE OF GOD AND THE NEED FOR LOVE AMONG FELLOW CHRISTIANS.
Ø THEPEOPLE PRACTICED LOVE FOR GOD BY LOVING OTHER BELIEVERS BY WORD AND DEED.
§ THIS IS THE PRESENTEXPERIENCE OF THESE CHRISTIANS.
¨ HOPE:
Ø THECHURCH PREACHED THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST.
Ø THEPEOPLE BELIEVED IN THE BLESSED HOPE OF CHRISTS SECOND COMING WHEN ALL GODSPROMISES WOULD BE FULFILLED.
§ THIS WILL BE A FUTUREEVENT IN THE EXPERIENCE OF THESE TRUE BELIEVERS IN CHRIST.
¨ DISCUSSION: WHICH OF THESE THREE CHARACTERISTICS DO YOU THINKIS MOST IMPORTANT IN A CHURCH, FAITH, LOVE, OR HOPE? WHY?
Ø WHICH OF THE THREE HAS ETERNAL VALUE?
§ READ 1COR 13:13
· PAUL SAYS THAT LOVE HAS ETERNALVALUE.
¨ WHEN YOU ARE WITH JESUS CHRIST IN HEAVEN ANDSEE HIM FACE TO FACE, YOU WILL NOT NEED FAITH OR HOPE. FAITH IS WHAT WE NEED HERE ON EARTHWHEN WE DONT SEE HIM AND FEEL ALONE. HOPE IS WHAT WE NEED HERE ON EARTH WHENEVERYTHING AROUND US SEEMS HOPELESS AND WE DESIRE A PERFECT WORLD. HOWEVER, LOVE ISSOMETHING EVERYONE WILL ALWAYS NEED TO RECEIVE AND ALWAYS NEED TO GIVE.
¨ IN ALL PAULS NEW TESTAMENT BOOKS, HESTRESSES THESE THREE CHRISTIAN GRACES.
Ø FAITH IS DOMINANT IN THE BOOKS OF ROMANS ANDGALATIANS.
Ø LOVE IS DOMINANT IN THE BOOKS OF EPHESIANSAND CORINTHIANS.
Ø HOPE IS DOMINANT IN THE BOOKS OF 1 AND 2THESSALONIANS.
¨ WE SEE THESE 3 CHARACTERISTICS, THE WORK OFFAITH, THE LABOR OF LOVE, AND THE PATIENT HOPE, IN PRACTICE IN VERSES 9-10.
Ø THEY TURNED FROM IDOLS TO GOD = WORK OFFAITH.
§ THE WORK OF FAITH IS TO ACTON THE WORD OF GOD.
Ø THEY SERVED THE LIVING AND TRUE GOD = LABOROF LOVE.
§ LABOR IS NOT A BURDENSOMELABOR WHEN IT IS DONE IN LOVE.
Ø THEY WAITED FOR THE SON FROM HEAVEN = THEPATIENT HOPE.
§ IT IS THE BLESSED HOPE THATKEEPS THE CHRISTIAN MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, FAITHFUL TO THE END.
v READ1THE 1:4-10
Ø THEELECTION OF GOD
§ GOD CALLS BELIEVERS INJESUS CHRIST, HIS ELECT. IN OTHER WORDS, GOD HAS CHOSEN EVERY BELIEVER BEFORETHE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD.
§ READ EPH 1:4
· BEHINDTHE TERM ELECTION IS THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD.
¨ THEREIS A DOCTRINE IN THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH TODAY THAT SAYS GOD IS NOT SOVEREIGN. IT SAYS THATGOD DOES NOT KNOW EVERYTHING. THAT MEANS HE DOES NOT KNOW THE FUTURE, AND THAT THERE IS NOVALIDITY TO BIBLE PROPHECY.
Ø HOWEVER,THE BIBLE IS VERY CLEAR TO TELL US THAT GOD IS SOVEREIGN, THAT THERE IS SUCH A THING ASTHE FOREKNOWLEDGE AND PREDESTINATION OF GOD, AND THAT FULFILLED BIBLE PROPHECY PROVESGODS FOREKNOWLEDGE.
§ THE BIBLE DOES NOT PROVEGOD IS SOVEREIGN. IT ASSUMES THAT MAN KNOWS IT TO BE TRUE. (ROM 1:20)
· BECAUSEGOD IS SOVEREIGN, HE CHOOSES (ELECTION) PEOPLE AND EVENTS ACCORDING TO HIS FOREKNOWLEDGE.
¨ WHATDOES THAT MEAN IN YOUR LIFE? IT MEANS THAT GOD KNEW AHEAD OF TIME THAT YOU WOULD HAVE ARECEPTIVE HEART FOR HIM. HE, THEREFORE, PREDESTINED EVENTS IN YOUR LIFE THAT WOULD LEADYOU TO THE POINT WHERE YOU WOULD EXERCISE YOUR FREE WILL TO ACCEPT HIM AS YOUR PERSONALSAVIOR. THEREFORE, GOD CHOSE YOU BEFORE YOU WERE EVER BORN BECAUSE HE KNEW YOU WOULDACCEPT HIM.
¨ IMPORTANTTRUTHS ABOUT ELECTION:
Ø GODIS SOVEREIGN.
§ GOD IS ALL POWERFUL, AND INCONTROL OF THIS PLANET.
Ø GODHAS FOREKNOWLEDGE.
§ BECAUSE GOD IS OUTSIDE OFTIME AND SPACE, HE KNOW EVERYTHING IN ADVANCE.
Ø GODDOES PRE-DESTINE EVENTS.
§ GOD PRE-DESTINES EVENTS TOBRING BLESSINGS TO HIS PEOPLE.
§ GOD PRE-DETERMINES EVENTSTO WORK THE PROCESS OF SANCTIFICATION IN THE LIFE OF BELIEVERS.
§ GOD DOES NOT PRE-DETERMINESOME PEOPLE TO ETERNAL LIFE AND OTHER PEOPLE TO ETERNAL DAMNATION.
Ø GODDOES CHOOSE BELIEVERS.
§ BECAUSE GOD KNOWS INADVANCE THOSE WHO WILL OPEN THEIR HEARTS TO RECEIVE CHRIST, HE CHOOSES THEM (SETS THEMAPART) TO BRING THEM TO THAT POINT OF SALVATION.
Ø MANHAS FREE WILL THAT GOD WILL NEVER VIOLATE.
§ GOD WILL NEVER CHOOSE APERSON WHO DOES NOT WANT TO BE CHOSEN.
§ GOD WILL NEVER AVOIDCHOOSING A PERSON WHO DOES WANT TO BE CHOSEN.
Ø THEPOWER OF THE WORD OF GOD BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD (5)
§ BECAUSE OF GODSELECTION, THE CHRISTIANS IN THE THESSALONIAN CHURCH HEARD THE GOSPEL FROM PAUL. HOWEVER,IT WAS ONLY WORDS THAT PAUL SPOKE. IT WAS THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT THAT TOOK THOSEWORDS AND CONVICTED THE HEARTS OF THOSE PEOPLE AND CAUSED FAITH TO FORM IN THEM. THEN THEYRECEIVED JESUS AS THEIR SAVIOR.
Ø THEREAL TRIUMPH OF THE WORD OF GOD (6)
§ THEY RECEIVED JESUS CHRISTWITH JOY AND AFFLICTION. WHAT A CONTRADICTION!
· INWORLDLY THINKING, THE PERSON WHO SUFFERS DOES NOT HAVE JOY AND VICE VERSA.
¨ ONLYIN CHRIST DO THESE TWO EXPERIENCES COME TOGETHER. EVEN THOUGH THE BELIEVER MAY BESUFFERING, HE NOW HAS AN ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE THAT GIVES HIM JOY REGARDLESS OF THECIRCUMSTANCES.
Ø THERESULTS OF THE GOSPEL (7-10)
§ THIS BABY CHRISTIAN CHURCHWAS PREACHING THE WORD AND SENDING OUT MISSIONARIES.
§ PAUL HEARD ABOUT THEREPUTATION OF THE THESSALONIAN CHURCH EVERYWHERE HE WENT.
§ THIS CHURCH HAD A HEART FORTHE MINISTRY. BECAUSE PAUL ALSO HAD A HEART FOR THE MINISTRY, HE APPRECIATED THISCHARACTERISTIC IN THIS CHURCH.
Ø TURNING TO GOD (9-10)
§ WHEN A PERSON TURNS TO GOD,HE TURNS AWAY FROM SOMETHING ELSE AT THE SAME TIME. THESE PEOPLE TURNED TO GOD AND AT THESAME TIME TURNED AWAY FROM IDOLS.
· THE TURNING AWAY IS REPENTANCE.
¨ THE WORD REPENTANCE MEANS TO TURN IN THEOPPOSITE DIRECTION.
¨ A PERSON IS SAVED WHEN HE TURNS TO GOD, ANDIN DOING THIS, HE IS TURNING AWAY FROM SIN OR REPENTING OF IT.
HOMEWORK
1 THESSALONIANS 2
Ø THE CHRISTIAN ATTITUDE TOWARD THE RETURN OFCHRIST SHOULD BE AN ATTITUDE OF LABORING IN LOVE AND PATIENTLY WAITING FOR THE BLESSEDHOPE OF HIS COMING.
§ WHAT LABOR OF LOVE ARE YOUFULFILLING IN YOUR CHRISTIAN LIFE?
§ HOW DOES THE KNOWLEDGE THATJESUS IS COMING BACK AFFECT THAT LABOR OF LOVE?
v PREPARATION FOR 1 THES 2
Ø READ 1THE 2:1-20
§ WRITE A PARAGRAPHEXPLAINING HOW YOUR BELIEF ABOUT THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH AND HOW ITS TIMING AFFECTS THEWAY YOU LIVE THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
MEMORY VERSE: TITUS 2:13
