A study on 1 and 2 Thessalonians CHRISTIAN FRIENDSHIP: The impact - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

A study on 1 and 2 Thessalonians

How an extraordinary event shapes

• ur ordinary lives

CHRISTIAN FRIENDSHIP:

• The impact of the Gospel

in our relationship

1 THESSALONIANS 3.1-13

• You may have 250 Facebook friends, but only two are

close pals, says study

• You may have a multitude of Facebook friends and

plenty of Twitter followers, but how many people count as your close pals?

• According to a new U.S. study of more than 2,000

adults, people have only an average of 2.03 close

• friends. That's one friend less than respondents said

they had in a 1985 survey.

Christian friendship: We are concerned with each

• ther's faith

So when we could no longer endure it, we thought it best to be left by ourselves in Athens. We sent Timothy, who is

• ur brother and co-worker in God’s service in spreading

the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith, so that no one would be unsettled by these

• trials. For you know quite well that we are appointed for
• them. In fact, when we were with you, we kept telling you

that we would be persecuted. And it turned out that way, as you well know. For this reason, when I could stand it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith. I was afraid that in some way the tempter had tempted you and that our labors might have been in vain. 1 Thessalonians 3.1-5

Paul and his friends were able to endure anything, except not knowing about them. They could endure privation, hunger, thirst, persecution, thrown into prison, beaten with rods and whips, being stoned and even being martyrs, but they could not endure not knowing how well it was going with this

• church. Paul Washer

“We… endure all things”. 1 Corinthians 9.12 “We could no longer endure it”. 1 Thessalonians 3.1

Christian friendship: We are concerned with each

• ther's faith
• We sent Timothy… to strengthen and encourage you in

your faith, so that no one would be unsettled by these

• trials. For you know quite well that we are appointed for
• them. In fact, when we were with you, we kept telling

you that we would be persecuted. And it turned out that way, as you well know. 1 Thessalonians 3.2-4

• In this world you will have trouble. John 16.33
• We must go through many hardships to enter the

kingdom of God. Acts 14.22

• Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus

will be persecuted. 2 Timothy 3.12

Christian friendship: We are concerned with each

• ther's faith
• … so that no one would be unsettled by

these trials. For you know quite well that we are appointed for them. 1 Thessalonians 3.3

• For God did not appoint us to suffer

wrath but to receive salvation through

• ur Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Thessalonians 5.9

Christian friendship: We are encouraged by the progress

• f each other’s faith

But Timothy has just now come to us from you and has brought good news about your faith and love. He has told us that you always have pleasant memories of us and that you long to see us, just as we also long to see you. Therefore, brothers and sisters, in all our distress and persecution we were encouraged about you because of your faith. For now we really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord. How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you? Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again and supply what is lacking in your faith 1 Thessalonians 3.6-10

Christian friendship: We are encouraged by the progress

• f each other’s faith

Timothy has just now come to us from you and has brought good news about your faith and love. (1Th 3.6). εὐαγγελισαμένου (euangelisamenou): This is the exact equivalent of “preaching the good news of the gospel”. The report from Timothy was, to Paul, like hearing the gospel.

When Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia, Paul devoted himself exclusively to preaching, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah. Acts 18.5

David Jeremiah

God’s people often underestimate how much they can encourage others by living

• ut their faith and openly sharing their

experiences of God’s faithfulness.

Christian friendship: We pray for others’ continued spiritual growth

• 1. Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord

Jesus direct our way to you.

• 2. May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for

each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you.

• 3. May he strengthen your hearts
• 4. So that you will be blameless and holy
• 5. In the presence of our God and Father
• 6. When our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.

1 Thessalonians 3.11-13

• May the Lord cause you to increase

and abound in love. 1 Th 3.12

• Increase: Do, make or be more,

increase by extension

• Abound: Be in excess, exceed the
• rdinary, abound, overflow

Only love admits no excess. For so we see, aspiring to be like God in power, the angels transgressed and fell; by aspiring to be like God in knowledge, man transgressed and fell; but by aspiring to a similitude

• f God in goodness or love, neither

man nor angel ever transgressed,

• r shall transgress. Francis Bacon

Christian friendship: We pray for others’ continued spiritual growth

• 200 million Christians in

60 countries are denied basic civil liberties for no other reason than their faith.

• 40,000 Christians a year

are martyred for their

• faith. 110/day, 5/hour

Bombing of Roman Catholic cathedral in southern Philippines kills at least 20

• Abraham Ben Moses, 4 years in prison
• Thank the Lord for Abraham’s strong faith.

Pray he will continue to look to God with trust and courage.

• Commit to the Lord Abraham’s family. May

they be surrounded by Christian family ready to love and support them at this difficult time.

• Is prayer your steering

wheel or your spare tire?" Corrie ten Boom The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and

• effective. James 5.16