As a church, we are walking through 1st Thessalonians during a series we are calling "Authentic Church". While in Corinth, Paul receives word about how the church in Thessalonica is doing and writes this letter to them that we find in 1 Thessalonians. Last week we looked at chapter 1 where Paul is encouraged about the fact that:
(1) their good works where produced by faith
(2) their labor was prompted by love
(3) their endurance was inspired by hope.
We picked up this week in chapter 2
1 Thessalonians 2: 1-16
1For you yourselves know, brothers, that our coming to you was not in vain. 2But though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we had boldness in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much conflict. 3For our appeal does not spring from error or impurity or any attempt to deceive, 4but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts. 5 For we never came with words of flattery, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed— God is witness. 6 Nor did we seek glory from people, whether from you or from others, though we could have made demands as apostles of Christ. 7But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. 8So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.
9For you remember, brothers, our labor and toil: we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. 10You are witnesses, and God also, how holy and righteous and blameless was our conduct toward you believers. 11For you know how, like a father with his children, 12we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.
13And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers. 14For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea. For you suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews, 15 who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out, and displease God and oppose all mankind 16 by hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles that they might be saved—so as always to fill up the measure of their sins. But God’s wrath has come upon them at last!
Here are the notes form the sermon this past Sunday:
How do we model the Gospel of Christ to those around us?
* do what God asks you to do (verses 1-4)
* ...... even if you have to suffer
* ...... even if you have to endure conflict
* ...... you have been entrusted with the Gospel and approved to share it!
* do it with pure motives (verses 5-6)
* ...... not with flattery words
* ...... not out of greed
* do it in love (verses 7-8)
* ...... be gentle
* ...... be affectionately desirous
* ...... share not only the Gospel but your life
How are we charged to model the Gospel with our lives?
* by walking in a manner worthy of God (verses 9-11)
What should our response be?
* receive and accept the Word for what it is (verse 13)
* become imitators of The Gospel (verse 14)
If you have not been able to be with us @GFchurch the past few weeks, you can catch the services in their entirety here GatewayTV
Here are a few things coming up in the life of our church::
...Men's Breakfast on Saturday, January 15th @ Soulmans in Royse City @ 8am
...GFchurch Ladies night on Saturday, January 22nd @ GFchurch @ 630pm
...Family Worship on Sunday, January 30th
ConnectGroup Schedule::
TuesNite @ 7pm @ The Snow's
WedNite @ 7pm @ The Brown's
SunMorn @ 930am @ GFchurch (Youth)
I love our church
I love our people
I love our team
I love what He is doing in us
I love what He is doing to us
I love what He is doing through us
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