‘A living portrait of genuine gospel people’(1 Thessalonians 2:13-3:5)

When the Apostle Paul wrote his first letter to the church at Thessalonica, he was full of praise for the way in which these people had received and welcomed the gospel. Their lives had been transformed from worshipping idols to turn and wait for Jesus to return from heaven. In 1 Thessalonians 2:13-3:5, in describing the characteristics that pleased the Apostle about these believers Paul paints a ‘portrait’ so to speak of what people transformed by the gospel look like. His ‘portrait’ therefore asks us the question, are we ‘gospel people’ in this sense?

Service

00:00 Welcome
Song: I Will Sing the Wondrous Story
00:19 Introduction
00:43 Prayer
05:52 Bible reading: Isaiah 55:1-11
Song: 10,000 Reasons
08:11 Kids’ Talk
Song: More Like Jesus
12:32 Bible reading: 1 Thessalonians 2:13-3:5
Song: Behold Our God
Sermon: 1 Thessalonians 2:13-3:5
Song: Jesus Master Whose I Am
14:51 Closing

Outline

What we’ve covered so far

The importance of character

Paul tells us what gospel people are like…

Note that…

They desire spiritual food from the word of God (v.13)

They are ready to suffer for the Son of God (v.14-16)

They desire fellowship with the people of God (v.17-5)

Learning from mirrors
Do you fit the portrait?