The Holy Spirit takes great care to guide Paul to prepare the Church in Thessalonica to deal with the topic of the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. What good is the right belief if it doesn’t lead to the right behaviour? More than three chapters have been written to prepare the Church to deal correctly with the teaching of the return of our Lord Jesus Christ before details of His return are discussed. These details, if dealt with correctly, help the Church to stay encouraged and focused on the works of faith and labours of love which lead to our holiness, without which nobody will see the Lord.

One of my favourite quotes from Martin Luther King is “Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hatred cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.” Love is a powerful thing! Today’s scripture is about how that power abides in a family context, referred to as brotherly love. The Thessalonians had to overcome a great deal in their journey of faith. The way they did it was to bound together in loving brotherhood and in doing so, they turned the world upside down!

Are we ready for Christ’s return? If we are then we’re ready to leave this world, in fact in many ways, we have already left this world. When we believe in Jesus Christ and repent of our sin, we say goodbye to our old identity, our old passions, fears and ambitions. We are new creations, set apart and changed so that we can grow to be more like Jesus every day. This pleases God, saves us from His wrath and gives us great joy in the midst of our suffering.

The way we pray for the Church and it’s people reveals our own faith. Paul is concerned for the faith, love and holiness of the church in Thessalonica. His prayer not only reveals his priorities, but will have us examining ours, especially in light of the promise that Jesus Christ can return at any moment. When He does, will we fit in with His Kingdom or the world’s?

The Bible records the prophecies and fulfilment of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead almost 2000 years ago. How can we trust the Bible and why Jesus His resurrection so important?

The events of the day of Jesus crucifixion are covered by the four Gospels. The greatest story that ever happened had been unfolding since the dawn of time and came to a dramatic head on the Passover, and the days that followed it, almost 2000 years ago. Listen to what happened from the experiences of John, the disciple who Jesus loved.

When Jesus fulfilled Zecharia’’s prophecy by riding down the Mount of Olives on the foal of a donkey, some acknowledged Him as Messiah, some rejected Him strongly and the majority remained indifferent. In the days that followed many who received Him as Messiah gave up on Him because He didn’t meet their expectations. He will return to the Mount of Olives, but before that happens, how will we receive Him?

Today we take part in the Lord’s table… It’s one of the two ordinances we’re given to carry out as believers in Jesus Christ. And to truly understand the impact of the Lord’s table, we need to back in time… To look at more of these stories. In fact, today, we’re going to cover more of Rehab’s story as we build-up to the Lord’s Table. As we take a look at these stories today, I want you to seriously consider them. These are not mythical stories like much of the world would have us believe. They are ancient realities that tell us about our creator and how we got to this point. When we understand the stories, we get a better grasp of the current state of the world and what our response should be.

The two spies that Joshua sent into Jericho were there to gather information for the coming invasion of the city, or were they? God soon destroyed the walls of Jericho and threw the city wide open. In hindsight, the reconnaissance didn’t seem all that necessary, but their visit was. Jericho’s walls were seemingly impenetrable, much like may literal and figurative walls keep us from spreading the Gospel. The story of Jericho teaches us valuable lessons on how God gets through to the people He has called.

One of the great tragedies of the Church is the way that worship can become an instrument of division and distraction. Self-centred expectations and desires dismantle its purpose and break down the Church instead of building her up. As we journey with Paul and Silas through their arrest, and meditate on the their imprisonment, we see the birth of a Church and how selfless God-centred worship was vital to its construction.

Worship is far more than singing, it’s the very thing that God created us for. Worship is the true response to the awesome power, beauty and glory of the God who created everything by the power of His Words. Worshipping God empowers us to do His work, strengthens us and unifies us as His body. It’s not surprising that something so powerful would be attacked and threatened by the enemy. Paul and Silas show us the power of worship and how to keep it pure and purposeful.

How often do we take time to think about all the people God has sent into our lives to help us become what He created us to be? Do we ever consider all the labour that has gone into getting us to where we are today? God is always at work, Jesus is building His Church and He sends people out to do the work of ministry. We need to be grateful for all the investment that has been poured into us, and then take a decision as to what we’re going to do with it.

Do you ever wonder why God is allowing such painful suffering and cruel treatment of people who are trying to live in faith and obedience to His Word? One of the ways that Paul encourage the Church through their suffering at the hands of persecutors, is to remind them that persecution is a sign that God’s Word is working in us, and to remind us that God will avenge His children with righteous wrath. We generally find it easier to focus on God’s love, but God’s wrath is part of His love and meditating on it is of great encouragement to His children, especially in times of suffering.

Do you ever wonder why God is allowing such painful suffering and cruel treatment of people who are trying to live in faith and obedience to His Word? One of the ways that Paul encourage the Church through their suffering at the hands of persecutors, is to remind them that persecution is a sign that God’s Word is working in us, and to remind us that God will avenge His children with righteous wrath. We generally find it easier to focus on God’s love, but God’s wrath is part of His love and meditating on it is of great encouragement to His children, especially in times of suffering.

Forgeries and fakes are lies, and lies are everywhere. Lies are destructive as they lead us in the wrong direction. In the second chapter of his letter to the Church of Thessalonica, the Holy Spirit testifies to the authenticity of the Gospel message delivered by Paul. This testimony prepared the people of that Church, and us, to know the real from the fake. When we have experienced the genuine faith, hope and love of the Gospel, is easier to spot a fraud. As we wait for the return of the Lord Jesus Christ, we must not only look to discern between the false and true Gospel but also imitate the real thing so as to help as many people as possible into the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus.

Is it really only results that matter, or is there something more important? In God’s Kingdom motive and method matter more. Paul’s letter to the Church in Thessalonica exhorts them to be ready for Jesus’ return by working in faith, labouring in love and persevering in hope. This exhortation is an encouragement and a warning, so it both commends them and calls them to imitate the Apostles more earnestly. In verses 5-8 they are reminded of the methods and motives of the Apostles that brought them the Gospel to assure them that they are on the right path, and to keep them on it. In the same way we learn how to go about labouring for God’s Kingdom with the right methods and motives. If we do this, we will be ready for Jesus’ return.

We’ve all been under pressure to do the wrong thing. The pressure gets to our heads and sometimes even convinces us that the wrong this is the right thing. When we face this kind of pressure, it’s useful to draw on the passage for this week’s sermon, because we see the great apostle, Paul standing firm under the most intense pressure. Despite beatings, imprisonment and exile, he stayed true to God’s word and preached it boldly. He believed in what he was doing and it changed him. He loved God’s word, but he made it count by the way he lived his life, and his example brought so many people to the Lord!

We all need to know that we belong and that our lives matter. We spend great energy on belonging and on achieving significance, but this can become exhausting. The only sense of belonging and purpose which brings peace, is knowing that we belong to God and that He is working out His eternal purpose through our lives. So how can we know that God has chosen us? How can we be sure that we belong to Him and have a valuable and enduring purpose? The first chapter of the letter to the Thessalonians comforts and encourages those who ask this question.

Do you remember what it was like to be new in a school, on the first day, totally out of your comfort zone and with no friends? Did you spend much of the day longing for your parents to come get you? We’re starting a new series on 1 & 2 Thessalonians that focuses on the return of Jesus Christ and how we should be living to be ready for Him. The Church at Thessalonica were like bewildered, lonely, school children desperate to go home rather than embracing and making the most of their mission. The current Church is a lot like this too, and we are in great need of learning the same lessons taught in these two letters.