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1 THESSALONIANS 3
LESSON #05
THE PURIFYING HOPE
v MEMORY VERSE: 1THESSALONIANS 3:13
v THE THINGS YOU BELIEVE SHOULD CHANGE YOUR LIFE!THIS IS A GREAT TRUTH WE MUST CONTINUALLY EXAMINE IN OUR LIVES AS CHRISTIANS. IF YOUDONT CONSTANTLY ASK YOURSELF IF THIS BIBLICAL TRUTH CHANGES YOUR LIFE, THEN YOUDONT REALLY BELIEVE IT.
Ø FOR EXAMPLE: A DAREDEVIL FREQUENTLY PERFORMS GREAT ACTS OF RACING A CAR AND CAUSING IT TOJUMP OVER A DEEP GULLY FROM ONE CLIFF TO ANOTHER.
§ YOU HAVE SEEN HIMSUCCESSFULLY DO THIS FEAT MANY TIMES. ONE DAY HE ASKS YOU IF YOU BELIEVE HE CAN DO THISAGAIN. QUICKLY YOU TELL HIM, YES, I BELIEVE YOU CAN DO IT! YOU BASE YOURSTATEMENT ON HIS PAST RECORD.
§ HE TELLS YOU TO GET IN THECAR AND RIDE WITH HIM.
· IF YOU REALLY BELIEVE HECAN DO IT AGAIN, YOU WILL GET IN THE CAR WITHOUT HESITATION. YOUR FAITH IN THIS DAREDEVILWILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE. YOU WILL BECOME A PARTICIPANT INSTEAD OF A BYSTANDER.
Ø CHRISTIAN DOCTRINES AND PRINCIPLES WORKEXACTLY THE SAME WAY. IF WE REALLY BELIEVE WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS, OUR FAITH WILLCAUSE US TO BE A PARTICIPANT AND NOT JUST A BYSTANDER.
Ø 1 THESSALONIANS 3 TELLS US THAT OUR BELIEF INTHE RAPTURE WILL CHANGE OUR LIVES.
v READ 1THE 3:1-8 PAULS CONCERNS AND TIMOTHYS GOOD REPORT
Ø PAUL WAS FRUSTRATED BECAUSE HE WAS FORCED TOLEAVE THESSALONICA BEFORE HE INTENDED TO LEAVE, AND NOW HE COULD NOT GO BACK TO SEE THESEPEOPLE. (1)
§ PAULS LOVE FOR THESECHRISTIANS DESIRED THE BEST FOR THEM. HE WANTED TO TEACH THEM MORE ABOUT CHRIST ANDCHRISTIANITY.
· THEREFORE, PAUL SENT OTHERCHRISTIAN LEADERS (ONE WAS TIMOTHY) TO MINISTER TO THEM. (2)
· TIMOTHY WAS TO ESTABLISHTHEM AND COMFORT THEM IN THE FAITH. (2)
¨ THE PHRASE, ESTABLISH THEM IS THESAME IDEA WE HAVE IN EXO 17.
Ø READ EXO 17:12
§ AARON AND HUR HELD UPMOSES HANDS UNTIL THE SUN SET.
§ STAYED UP INEXO 17:12 IS THE SAME AS ESTABLISH.
· IN OTHER WORDS, TIMOTHY WAS TOHOLD UP THE HANDS OF THE LEADERS IN THESALONICA.
¨ COMFORT MEANS TO ENCOURAGE THEMIN THE FAITH.
Ø PAULS CONCERNS:
§ PAUL TELLS THESE BELIEVERSTHAT AFFLICTIONS, TRIALS, PRESSURES, AND PROBLEMS SHOULD NOT MOVE THEM FROM FAITH. (3)
· BELIEVERS IN CHRIST AREAPPOINTED TO GO THROUGH THESE TRIALS.
¨ AFFLICTIONS, TRIALS, PRESSURES, AND PROBLEMSARE PART OF THIS WORLD ON EARTH. EVERY PERSON HAS THEM. BECAUSE BELIEVERS LIVE IN THISWORLD, WE, ALSO, WILL HAVE THEM. CHRIST DOES NOT TAKE US OUT OF THE WORLD WHEN WE ARE BORNAGAIN. HE HAS APPOINTED US TO STAY ON THIS EARTH FOR A TIME TO TRY OUR FAITH AND TO MAKEUS MORE LIKE CHRIST. (2TIM 3:12 1PET 4:12-19)
· EVIDENTLY BELIEVERS INTHESALONICA WERE THREATENED TO FALL AWAY FROM CHRIST BECAUSE OF PERSECUTION. PAUL WANTEDTHEM TO KNOW THAT THIS WAS ALL PART OF THE PLAN OF GOD FOR THEM.
¨ THESE THREATS AND TEMPTATIONS CAME FROMSATAN. (5)
Ø TIMOTHYS GOOD REPORT:
§ TIMOTHY REPORTED THAT THISCHURCH WAS DOING WELL IN FAITH AND LOVE. (6)
· TIMOTHYS GOOD REPORTCOMFORTED PAUL IN HIS OWN PROBLEMS.
¨ PAUL FELT ENCOURAGED THAT HE HAD NOT ENDUREDSO MUCH TROUBLE IN VAIN TO BRING THEM THE GOSPEL.
Ø THE REWARD FOR STANDING FAST IN TROUBLE:
§ PAUL SAYS THAT BECAUSETHEIR FAITH IS FIRM THROUGH THE TRIALS AND PROBLEMS, THEY LIVE. (8)
· THEIR FAITH IS NOT UNSTABLE ANDWAVERING. (JAM 1:6-8)
· READ 1PET 4:12-13
¨ BELIEVERS HAVE ETERNAL LIFE.
¨ BELIEVERS HAVE INTERNAL JOY IN THIS LIFE.
¨ BELIEVERS HAVE THE BLESSINGS OF GOD.
¨ BELIEVERS HAVE THE HELP OF CHRIST THROUGH THETROUBLES OF LIFE.
¨ BELIEVERS WILL HAVE AN ULTIMATE REWARD WHENCHRIST COMES.
v READ 1THE 3:9-13 PAUL ENCOURAGES GROWTH
Ø BECAUSE THE CHRISTIAN HAS LIFE,HE HAS JOY. (9)
Ø PAUL WANTS TO RETURN TO THESALONICA TO TEACHTHEM THE WORD OF GOD. (9-11)
§ HE PRAYS FOR THEMCONTINUOUSLY.
· THESE BELIEVERS ARE STANDING FIRMBUT THEY NEED TO BE STRONGER.
§ HE WANTS THEIR LOVE FOREACH OTHER IN INCREASE. (12)
· ABOUND IN LOVE MEANS= TO EXCEED IN LOVE, ACTIVELY SEEKING THE WELFARE OF OTHER PEOPLE.
Ø DISCUSSION: WHY IS THE COMING OF CHRIST A PURIFYING HOPE?
§ TO THE END HE MAYSTABLISH YOUR HEARTS UNBLAMEABLE IN HOLINESS BEFORE GOD (13)
· TO THE END = THE FINAL PURPOSE OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE:
¨ THE PURPOSE OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE IS TO MAKEUS PURE AND HOLY.
Ø READ JAM 1:1-4
§ NOTICE THE JOY THROUGHSUFFERING.
§ NOTICE THE PURPOSE OFSUFFERING.
· UNBLAMEABLE INHOLINESS = FREE FROM ALL VALID CHARGE. IT DOES NOT MEAN SINLESS BECAUSE THAT ISIMPOSSIBLE IN THE FLESH. IT MEANS THAT SIN HAS BEEN DEALT WITH AND FORGIVEN.
§ AT THE COMING(parousia) OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST WITH ALL HIS SAINTS. (13)
· IS PAUL TALKING ABOUT THE RAPTUREOF THE CHURCH OR ABOUT THE EVENT OF THE SECOND COMING?
¨ SOME PEOPLE SAY THAT BECAUSE THIS VERSE SAYS,WITH ALL HIS SAINTS INSTEAD OF FOR ALL HIS SAINTS, IT MUST REFERTO THE EVENT OF THE SECOND COMING.
¨ OTHER PEOPLE SAY THAT BECAUSE THIS VERSESAYS, UNBLAMEABLE IN HOLINESS BEFORE GOD, IT MUST REFER TO THE JUDGMENT SEATOF CHRIST THAT OCCURS IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH.
¨ TO ANSWER THIS QUESTION WE MUST UNDERSTANDSOME IMPORTANT GREEK WORDS:
Ø THE WORD COMING ORAPEARING (epiphaneia):
§ WE GET THE ENGLISH WORDEPIPHANY FROM THIS GREEK WORD.
· IT MEANS = A BREAKING OR SHININGTHROUGH.
¨ THE WORD CAN REFER TO CHRISTS FIRSTCOMING. (TITUS 2:11)
¨ THE WORD CAN REFER TO THE RAPTURE OF THECHURCH.
¨ THE WORD CAN REFER TO THE EVENT OF THESECOND COMING OF CHRIST TO ESTABLISH HIS KINGDOM.
Ø THE WORD REVELATION (apokalupsis)
§ IT MEANS = AN UNVEILING.
· THE WORD CANNOT REFER TOCHRISTS FIRST COMING BECAUSE CHRISTS GLORY WAS VEILED IN HUMAN FLESH.
· THE WORD CANNOT REFER TO THERAPTURE OF THE CHURCH BECAUSE CHRIST IS NOT UNVEILED TO A WORLD THAT DOES NOT SEE HIMCOME.
· THE WORD, THEN, MUST REFER TO THEEVENT OF THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST WHEN ALL THE WORLD SEES HIM COME TO ESTABLISHHIS KINGDOM ON EARTH.
Ø THE WORD PRESENCE (parousia)
§ IT MEANS = PRESENCE OR TOBE ALONGSIDE.
§ SOMETIMES THIS GREEK WORDIS TRANSLATED INTO ENLISH AS PRESENCE (PHIL 2:12) AND SOMETIMESCOMING (1TES 2:19 AND 1TES 3:13)
¨ BECAUSE PAUL USES THE GREEK WORD parousia IN1THE 3:13, HE IS TALKING ABOUT THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH, WHEN CHRIST IS PRESENT WITHBELIEVERS, AND HE PRESENTS US BEFORE GOD AT THE JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST.
Ø IT IS AT THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH THAT THEBELIEVER RECEIVES HIS NEW BODY TOTALLY FREE FROM THE SIN NATURE OF THE FLESH. HE ISUNBLAMEABLE IN HOLINESS. ALL HIS SIN IS FORGIVEN.
Ø THEREFORE, WE CAN CONCLUDE THAT THE JUDGMENTSEAT OF CHRIST OCCURS IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH.
§ READ ROM 14:10
§ READ 2COR 5:10
v APPLICATION:
Ø WE HAVE LEARNED THAT OUR RESPONSES TO TRIALSAND PROBLEMS IN THIS LIFE SHOULD MAKE US MORE LIKE CHRIST. THEREFORE, WE MUST RESPOND TOTHESE PROBLEMS WITH A RIGHT ATTITUDE OF JOY AND HOPE, ALWAYS LOOKING TO WHAT LESSONS WECAN LEARN THROUGH THEM.
Ø WE HAVE LEARNED THAT WE WILL ACCOUNT FOR OURCHRISTIAN CHARACTER AND LIFE BEFORE THE JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST. BECAUSE THIS EVENT OCCURSIMMEDIATELY AFTER THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH, IT IS THE ANTICIPATION OF THE RAPTURE THATSHOULD CAUSE US TO CONTINUALLY EXAMINE OUR CHRISTIAN LIFE. THE FOCUS OF THE RAPTURE ANDTHE JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST SHOULD CAUSE US TO TAKE SERIOUSLY OUR CHRISTIAN MATURITY ANDSANCTIFICATION.
§ IF YOU ARE NOT BECOMINGMORE AND MORE LIKE CHRIST IN YOUR CHRISTIAN LIFE, YOUR BELIEF IN THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCHIS NOT CHANGING YOUR LIFE.
v HOMEWORK
v 1THESALONIANS 4:1-12
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FORCORRECTION.
v APPLICATION OF 1THE 3
Ø HOW IS YOUR BELIEF IN THE RAPTURE CHANGINGYOUR LIFE IN REGARD TO HOLINESS?
v PREPARATION FOR 1THE 4:1-12
Ø READ 1THE 4:1-12
§ WHAT IS THE WILL OF GOD FORBELIEVERS?
§ WHAT DOES IT MEAN TODEFRAUD YOUR BROTHER IN VERSE 6?
§ WHY IS HATRED AGAINST YOURBROTHER HATRED AGAINST GOD?
v MEMORYVERSE: 1 THESSALONIANS 4:7
