One of the strong emphases of Scripture when it comes to the return of Jesus, is the important question of ‘how we live’ in the light of His coming. As Paul concludes his letter to the Church at Thesalonica in 1 Thessalonians 5:12-28, this emphasis can be clearly seen. While Paul has established the fact of Jesus’ return, especially the unknown hour of that return, he does not finish the letter without calling God’s people back to living in the world, with their feet on earth, so to speak. And as he closes the letter, he does so with some practical instructions, so that the time we have while we wait for Jesus to come in spent the right way – in living for Him and not for lesser things.
Service
00:00 Welcome
Song: Hark the Herald Angels
00:18 Introduction
00:43 Prayer
04:29 Bible reading: Philippians 1:1-11
Song: Tell Out My Soul
05:48 Kids’ Talk
Song: You Can Tell the Lord That You Love Him
09:45 Bible reading: 1 Thessalonians 5:12-28
Song: Who Is He in Yonder Stall
Sermon: 1 Thessalonians 5:12-28
Song: Amazing Grace
11:23 Closing
Outline
- Soren Kierkegaard and his duck story
- Theology – to be applied!
- How Paul wants us to live as we wait for the return of our Lord…
- The way we are to respond to our leaders (v.12-13)
- The way we are to respect one another (v.14-15)
- The way we are to react to our circumstances (v.16-18)
- The way we are to receive the Word of God (v.19-22)
Being the people of Jesus, because of Jesus.
Paul’s apt benediction – grace at the start and the finish.