Tag: 1 Thessalonians

In Conclusion

In Conclusion

The conclusion of a book is as important as its introduction.  We can all think of those introductions which have grabbed our attention.  One thinks of lines such as “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,” and “Call me Ishmael.”  But the conclusions also get our attention because they remind us of what an author really considers to be important.  This is certainly the case in Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians.  He begins his letter calling to mind that the church of Thessalonica is God’s church.  In the conclusion in chapter 5:12-28, he offers exhortations on how that church is to live in light of the fact that it belongs to God.  We see in these exhortations principles for honoring church leaders, principles for peace among fellow Christians, and the importance of rejoicing and praying.  But all of these commands are rooted in Paul’s benediction in verse 23.  Paul writes in that verse, “Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.” 

How can a Christian really live as one of God’s chosen people?  How can a Christian have confidence that they will grow in grace?  How can a Christian have the hope that they may endure to the end?  It is because God is at work in the life of the believer and because He will keep them blameless.  Paul has a settled confidence that “he will surely do it.”  God has redeemed His own people from destruction, and He has promised to keep them to the end.  Do you have the kind of settled confidence that Paul displays in this passage?  Are you hopeful in the power of God to keep you and in the second coming of Jesus Christ?

Paul closes the chapter in verse 28, saying, “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.”  God has been gracious in Jesus Christ and will continue to be gracious to His people.  In light of that grace, in light of the faithfulness of God, you may pursue holiness and seek to live as Paul commands in this conclusion.  Join us this Sunday as we discuss these things more fully during worship at River City Reformed Church.  We meet at 5 PM at The Commons at St. Andrews Church, located at 8300 Kanis Rd in Little Rock.  For directions, click here, or contact us for more information.  You can also join us on FacebookLive@RiverCityARP and on YouTube.

07/25/2021 | “If You are Standing Fast” | 1 Thessalonians 3

07/25/2021 | “If You are Standing Fast” | 1 Thessalonians 3

The first letter to the Thessalonians is written in the midst of trial.  The Thessalonian Christians faced opposition to their faith in God, and so did the Apostle Paul.  And as Paul has written to the Thessalonians, he expresses concern that perhaps the Thessalonian Christians have drifted.  One of the things we notice about Paul throughout his writing is that he cares deeply for the Christians that God has allowed him to serve and to impact.  He had seen the Thessalonian Christians converted and had a major role in establishing that church.  But here he is clearly concerned that in the midst of opposition, perhaps the Thessalonians would not remain fixed on the firm foundation of Christ.

But Paul is a God-centered pastor.  He knows that their continued faithfulness depends not ultimately on their own ability or even on his own pastoring, but in the power of God to keep them.  That is really the hope of every Christian.  How do you know that you will remain in the faith, that you will persevere?  It is grounded in the power of God.  That is where our chapter concludes, with Paul’s confidence in the Lord: “Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you,  and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.” (Verses 11-13)

“If You Are Standing Fast,” 1 Thessalonians 3

“If You Are Standing Fast”

“If You Are Standing Fast”

The letter to the Thessalonians is written in the midst of trial.  The Thessalonian Christians faced opposition to their faith in God, and so did the Apostle Paul.  And as Paul has written to the Thessalonians, he expresses concern that perhaps the Thessalonian Christians have drifted.  One of the things we notice about Paul throughout his writing is that he cares deeply for the Christians that God has allowed him to serve and to impact.  He had seen the Thessalonian Christians converted and had a major role in establishing that church.  But here he is clearly concerned that in the midst of opposition, perhaps the Thessalonians would not remain fixed on the firm foundation of Christ.

            But as Timothy, one of Paul’s co-laborers goes to visit them, he brings back word that they are indeed growing and still have a deep affection for Paul and a love for the gospel that he had preached.  And Paul says something very interesting in light of this.  He writes in verse 8, “For now we live, if you are standing fast in the Lord.” (English Standard Version)  He has such an affection for the people of God, for this congregation that he has been separated from for so long, that he ties their faithfulness to the Gospel in with his very life.

            But Paul is a God-centered pastor.  He knows that their continued faithfulness depends not ultimately on their own ability or even on his own pastoring, but in the power of God to keep them.  That is really the hope of every Christian.  How do you know that you will remain in the faith, that you will persevere?  It is grounded in the power of God.  That is where our chapter concludes, with Paul’s confidence in the Lord: “Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you,  and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.” (Verses 11-13)

We meet from 5:00 – 6:30 pm at The Arkansas Dream Center at 1116 Daisy L Gatson Bates Drive in Little Rock for worship.  Get directions here or contact us for more info.  You can also join us on Facebook Live @RiverCityARP or on YouTube.

Photo by Kalen Emsley on Unsplash.

Pastoral Faithfulness

Pastoral Faithfulness

The Apostle Paul is often referred to as the greatest missionary in the history of the church.  It is also clear from the Scriptures that Paul was a loving pastor.  There were many churches with whom Paul had a close pastoral relationship, and the church in Thessalonica was one of these churches.  In chapter one of 1 Thessalonians, we see that Paul possessed a gospel thankfulness, and in  chapter 2 we see something of Paul’s gospel faithfulness. 

As Paul proclaimed his message to the Thessalonian Christians, he recognized that he was not ultimately bringing his own words to them, but God’s Word (see verse 13).  Faithfulness to God and His Word drove his ministry to them.  And, as noted in chapter one, this was effective because God’s Word is indeed powerful, and because the Spirit of God worked through the preaching of the Word to awaken the Thessalonians unto the grace and mercy of God.  We see this even more clearly displayed as Paul recounts not only his ministry to them, but also the fruit of that ministry among them.  The Thessalonian Christians had received Paul’s message and lived according to it.

But as is regularly the case with faithful ministry, there were those who sought to oppose the Gospel.  The Gospel message will see many responses—there are those who respond in faith.  There are also those who respond with apathy.  And there are those who respond with hostility.  It is in the context of great opposition to the gospel that Paul writes this letter, to encourage the Thessalonian Christians to remember his faithful ministry.  But again, it is not ultimately because it is his ministry that Paul writes this, but because he comes as an Apostle set apart by God, given a true message from the living God. 

As we consider this context of 1 Thessalonians, consider your own response to the Gospel message.  Consider what role that message plays in your life.  The Bible is the very Word of God.  Have you believed it, and have you seen the glory of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in it?  And do you rest on Him as your eternal hope? 

Join us as this Lord’s Day at 5 at the Arkansas Dream Center located at 1116 Daisy L Gatson Bates Drive in Little Rock for worship.  Get directions here or contact us for more info.  You can also join us on Facebook Live @RiverCityARP or on YouTube.  For the order of service, click here.

Photo by John-Mark Smith on Unsplash.

Gospel Thankfulness

Gospel Thankfulness

The Apostle Paul was known as a thankful person.  This is undoubtedly due to the fact that he was aware of the grace of God shown to him in Christ Jesus.  He had been a persecutor of the church of Jesus Christ and an enemy of the Gospel, and yet by grace God had opened his eyes and his heart and made him an Apostle of Jesus Christ.  Paul’s attitude of thankfulness flows through many of his letters and especially his greetings and introductions.  Paul and Silvanus and Timothy send greetings and write, “Grace to you and peace.”  (1 Thessalonians 1:1, English Standard Version)  The grace and peace of which they speak is that which is found in Christ Jesus.  Jesus Christ, the gracious Savior, has given His people peace with God by His work on their behalf.  It is by knowing the Person of Christ who has done this work that the people of God have grace and peace. 

The introduction to the letter goes on to commend the Thessalonians, with Paul noting his thankfulness.  While Paul is thankful for these believers themselves, we may note that the thanks he expresses is ultimately based upon what God has done in the lives of the Thessalonians.  This is a Gospel thankfulness, a thankfulness based on the Good News of Jesus Christ and the ways in which God Himself has transformed these believers.  Paul writes in verse 4,  “For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you…”  Paul is thankful for what God has done.  The Thessalonians are faithful and an encouragement to the Apostle Paul because God has chosen them.  This is the same choosing grace that Paul himself knew well.  As Paul had at one time been opposed to Christ, God chose him and drew him unto himself.  Paul next references the way in which God has specifically saved and worked in  the Thessalonian Christians in verses 5-7, writing, “because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.  And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit,  so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia.”  When the Thessalonian Christians heard the Gospel preached by Paul and his company, the Lord called them irresistibly to Himself, changing them from the inside out.  Paul rejoices at their conversion that God wrought and also at their continued growth in grace. 

Are we marked by Gospel thankfulness?  Are we thankful for the work God has done in our lives and also in the lives of fellow believers?  Do we long, as did Paul, to see the lost converted? 

We meet from 5:00 – 6:30 pm at The Arkansas DreamCenter at 1116 Daisy L Gatson Bates Drive in Little Rock for worship.  Get directions here or contact us for more info.  You can also join us on Facebook Live @RiverCityARP or on YouTube.  For the order of service, click here.

Photo by Pro Church Media on Unsplash.