Sermon Central
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Studies In I Thessalonians
Contributed by Glenn Pease on Apr 6, 2021 (message contributor)
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1. The Master Motive
Contributed on Apr 6, 2021
This is the secret of Paul’s constant drive, for even with all of his trials and frustrations, he could rejoice in the Lord always because his master motive was to please God
How should a Christian defend himself when his character and motives are attacked in an effort to belittle the Gospel which he proclaims? Paul had to face this question everywhere he went, for the Judaisers were hot on his trail trying to destroy the fruit of his labors. From the defensive nature ...read more
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2. An Apostolic Attitude
Contributed on Apr 6, 2021
Success never went to Paul’s head. He could have stood on his dignity as an Apostle, and from a pedestal of superiority thrown his weight around, but he never did. Here again we see Paul’s absolute sincerity, for he knew he only had the position he did by the grace of God.
We have all heard it said that is doesn’t make any difference what you believe as long as you are sincere. This is true only if what you are talking about doesn’t make any difference. If you sincerely believe that white potatoes are better for you than red potatoes it will not make any great ...read more
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3. God’s Gentleman
Contributed on Apr 6, 2021
I am more convinced every day that true power is in gentleness. Like the silent gentle rays of the sun are the most potent factors in natural life, so the gentle kindness of the Christian is the most potent factor in spreading the spiritual life.
History is the record of the battle of competing ideas and philosophies that clash with one another in their effort to gain the allegiance of men. The whole world is under the pressure of such competing ideologies. Is theism or atheism the truth? Is liberalism or conservatism the way to go in ...read more
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4. Blameless Behavior
Contributed on Apr 7, 2021
Looking back over this defense of Paul, it is no wonder he was used of God the way he was. His courage in severe struggle; his master motive of pleasing God; his attitude of complete sincerity and gentleness, and his blameless behavior all add up to one of the most Christ-like lives ever lived.
These 5 verses conclude Paul’s defense of himself to the Thessalonians, and in them we see clearly that one of the basic secrets of success is to love your work. Paul’s work was reaching people with the Gospel and seeing them mature in the Christian life. He loved this work more than life ...read more
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5. Fruitful Frustration
Contributed on Apr 7, 2021
To be human is to experience frustration. It is not sinful to be frustrated, for Jesus was sinless, but He did not escape frustration. He may have had more than His share even, for the more ideals and goals you have, the more you will be frustrated.
Joe Bayly had a change to stay in the luxurious Hilton Hotel in Chicago. It was going to be a treat of a retreat, but then he was hit again by the x-factor. That is what he calls Murphy's Law-the law that says, if anything can go wrong it will. The hot water in his room would not work. He was ...read more
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6. Thank God It Works
Contributed on Apr 7, 2021
The primary proof that the Bible is the Word of God is practical. All who truly believe it and have perfect confidence in it, experience its power.
In his book God’s Word In Man’s Language, Eugene Nida tells of young Belgian parachutist who was dropped into this country during World War II to work in the underground against the Germans. He was captured by the Gestapo and put in solitary confinement. In the cell next to him was a Belgian ...read more
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7. Fighting God
Contributed on Apr 7, 2021
The prophets made it clear that God had a universal love, but the people paid no attention to the prophets. Having this attitude caused them to fail in being God’s servant in reaching the rest of mankind.
The first act of aggression by which one man attacked another with intent to kill was motivated by religious intolerance. Cain could not stand to see Abel in better harmony with God than himself, and the result was murder. This attitude of intolerance is found all through the Old Testament. ...read more
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8. Satan’s Hindrance
Contributed on Apr 7, 2021
Paul was no pessimist. He was hindered by Satan, but he never sat down and gave up. He didn’t get to do what he wanted, but Paul rejoiced in spite of his frustration because in spite of the hindrance he had perfect confidence that ultimate victory would be his.
Children are constantly coming up with that profound argument that they feel is an infallible guide to what ought to be-“But I wanna.” I remember explaining to Steven one time that we don’t always get to do what we want, and Cindy felt that was good advice. So the next time he was refused and ...read more
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9. Appointed To Affliction
Contributed on Apr 7, 2021
As far as possible the Christian is to live peaceably with all men. The ideal is progress without persecution, but the world will not tolerate the Christian conviction, and so there will be tribulation, and we must be prepared to face it if we stand for the truth as we ought.
One of our neighbors had a common but nerve wracking experience. Her little girl did not come home from school at noon. She got worried and went out to look for her, but she was no where around. The mother was just sick with worry as the worst possible thoughts went through her mind. She sought ...read more
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10. A Steadfast Faith
Contributed on Apr 7, 2021
It is easy to start the race, but the finish is what really matters, and so it is in the Christian life. It is one thing to start on the way, and another thing to keep going all the way. What we really need is not starting power but staying power,
To make no gain for one’s labor is a perfectly natural cause for disappointment. Jesus knew this feeling often as His disciples failed to grasp His teaching, and especially when Judas betrayed Him. Paul knew it well when he wrote with a saddened heart that Demas had forsaken him. Many have ...read more
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11. The Impossible Is Indispensable
Contributed on Apr 7, 2021
Certainly all of us have had the experience of not knowing how to express our gratitude. Thanks sometimes seems so inadequate, and even when we add thanks so very much, and thanks a million, it leaves us with a sense of having very poorly expressed how we feel.
The concept of the impossible changes from generation to generation. Much of what we do today was once thought to be impossible. Because of this, we are more cautious today in what we include in the category of the impossible. We are no longer quick to say it can't be done. What is apparently ...read more
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12. Divine Direction
Contributed on Apr 7, 2021
Paul is praying for divine direction. This clearly implies that not all that happens is God’s providence, for what is the need for praying for specific divine direction if all that life brings us is his pre-determined direction anyway.
A common saying that has become well-known is, “Truth is stranger than fiction.” When one begins to study what has really happened in history he discovers that reality if just as amazing and interesting as anything that could be invented. For example, I read the story of a drifter in Australia ...read more
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13. Sanctification And Sex
Contributed on Apr 7, 2021
Christianity has glorified marriage more than any other religion, and nearly all the greatest love poetry in the world has been produced by Christians. If anybody says that sex is bad in itself, that person does not understand Christianity.
The father of Matthew Henry, the great Bible commentator, was courting a girl who was heiress to a fortune while he was a Presbyterian minister. Her father said to her, "He may be a perfect gentleman, a brilliant scholar, and an excellent preacher, but he is a stranger, and we don't know ...read more
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14. Revolutionary Resolutions
Contributed on Apr 7, 2021
Paul wrote to the Thessalonians and suggested some vital areas for spiritual progress that are as relevant today as they were then. In fact, if we resolved to carry them out, they would revolutionize our Christian witness in the world.
No one doubts that man has made a great deal of progress in the physical realm. In 1903 when the Wright Brothers flew their heavier than air machine, the whole distance of their first flight was less than the wing spread of a modern B 36. Progress has been obvious. The progress in medicine has ...read more
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15. No Rest For The Righteous
Contributed on Apr 7, 2021
No one takes this literally and tries to stay awake 24 hours a day. What Paul means, he does mean very literally, and that is that the Christian must be always wide awake in his relationship to Christ. We must at all times, and in all places, be conscious that we are Christians
While I was visiting in the hospital one of the workers came in and a patient said, “Are you still working?” “Yes,” she said, “No rest for the wicked, and I guess I am awfully wicked.” We have all heard this at some time or another, but the thought came to me that it is ridiculous to apply that ...read more
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16. Leadership In The Early Church
Contributed on Apr 7, 2021
By necessity, any group of people who hope to attain certain goals has to have leaders. Organization is an essential component in the body of Christ, just as it is in the existence of any living organism.
By necessity, any group of people who hope to attain certain goals has to have leaders. Organization is an essential component in the body of Christ, just as it is in the existence of any living organism. If there is one thing that the universe compels us to believe about its Creator, it is that ...read more
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17. Thankful No Matter What!
Contributed on Apr 7, 2021
Paul says that it is God's will that we be thankful under all circumstances. This is one thing we need never doubt, for it is stated clearly. We know then that it is possible for everyone of us to acquire the vision of Paul and be incurable optimists
Markus Bach tells of flying above the majestic Selkirk Range in British Columbia with a strange and intricate mechanism in the tail of the plane. It was called a magnetometer. This instrument was used in Ontario to detect 60 millions tons of silver, copper and zinc. It is an "electronic ...read more
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18. Let The Fire Burn
Contributed on Apr 7, 2021
Paul recognizes that God has given man this power, and that is why he urges them not to lose it, but says quench not the Spirit. Let the fire burn he pleads. We need the heat, the light, and the power that only can be ours as we yield to the fire of the Spirit.
An embarrassing situation marked the passing of a well known fire chief. None of the family has spoken to any member of his engine company since the funeral. With the best of intentions these fire men sent what they felt was a high tribute. It was a floral arrangement with gold letters saying ...read more