1 Thessalonians 4:9-12

God is committed to our holiness. In fact, God takes the matter of our holiness so seriously that He leaves no room for you and me to misunderstand His expectations, for—“as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” (1 Pet. 1:15-16). So far Paul has talked about holiness and our sanctification in sexual purity. Now it’s time to talk about this in brotherly love and how this works itself out something as practical as our work. God-pleasing love for others in the Jesus family and beyond can be as simple as working unto the Lord! Main Idea—I please God by working hard at loving others and loving hard work.

1 Thessalonians 4:1-8

The good news of Jesus not only teaches us what to believe, but it also directs us how we ought to live in order to “please God” (4:1). This is the crucial connection the Thessalonian Believers needed to grasp and the same goes for you and me today. This prompts the question—“Okay, so how do I do this? How can I live to please God? Paul answers this question in Chapters 4 & 5—The purpose of Believers is to please God in all things. Whether it’s your sex life, your work life, matters of death and life, or anything in-between—God’s call for you and me is to keep growing in holiness more and more. This sets us up for the Main Idea—I please God when I pursue holiness in sexual purity.

1 Thessalonians 3:10-13

For three chapters, Paul has been giving thanks for the work of the gospel in the lives of the Thessalonians. But now the time has come to heap the encouragement of growth on his thanksgiving. They are walking in a manner worthy of God. The question is how do they do this “more and more”? Christian growth will come down to action. That cannot be denied. But first, Christian growth must begin [ and continue ] in prayer to God. That is what Paul models for us in his prayer. Paul takes this on in his letter because the Thessalonians need to know that growth is a normal part of the Christian life. Main Idea—Growing more and more is a prayer-fueled, normal part of the Christian life.

1 Thessalonians 2:17-3:10

Because my Jesus family matters, matters of my Jesus family grip my heart. This truth comes to surface greatly in our text. Paul is a pastor but also an ordinary Christian. He is a fellow brother and sister in the household of God with the Thessalonians. His is a heart of deep love for his Thessalonian Jesus family and this deep love gives us a model for how we can approach family life in our Jesus family. Like Paul to the Thessalonians, we can see our local church family with glory and joy, longing to see them stand firm in the Lord, seeing their faith in Jesus as fuel for our faith in Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 2:13-16

The church in Thessalonica sprang up from the soil of affliction and hardship yet these Believers received the gospel in much affliction with the joy in the Holy Spirit. But as time went on the opposition and suffering they experienced continued long after their initial reception of the gospel. Why? Paul answers that their ongoing suffering makes sense because God’s Word is at work in them resulting in the world at work against them. Paul encourages them that their experience isn’t abnormal, but a normal part of everyday discipleship.

Psalm 13:1-6

There is lonely and waiting pain. Grief and loss pain. We can experience relational pain that is often partnered with emotional pain. And then there is the physical pain we experience with our bodies. Add to all of this that our pain can be chronic—meaning it is constant and ongoing. And when we watch the life, abilities, and enjoyment we once had fade into the distance due to that pain—disappointment, grief, despair, and especially hopelessness can quickly seep into our veins. Hopelessness is the great temptation we face in chronic pain prompting the question—What do you do when you find yourself in a season of pain with no end in sight? Psalm 13 is our help teaching us—When I feel hopeless in my pain, I can hope in God.

John 13:36-14:6

If you think about the heaving sobs of grief and the stinging pain of loss you have experienced in your life, then you know how the darkness and heaviness of grief knows no bounds. Losses come in many shapes and sizes. Some are large while others are small. But here’s the deal with loss whether large or small—whatever the nature or intensity of your loss, grief is never far behind. So what can we do? Using our illustration from last week, we can continue to build on the footing of God’s Word. Main Idea—I can rest my hope in Jesus who knows my tears in grief and loss.

Genesis 16 & John 11

The tears and tossings we experience in life come in all kinds of shapes and sizes. And our experiences of loneliness that are so often coupled with periods of waiting perfectly describe so many of our tears. When we find ourselves alone, and when waiting for answers has become all too familiar—the temptation to fear is typically close by. In fear we can wonder—Is God really for me? Does God see me? Why does He seem so slow? Where is He at? Isn’t He loving? And in love, shouldn’t His care for me be more than it seems right now? The good news for you and me is that our tears in loneliness and our tossings in waiting truly matter to God. Main Idea—I can trust in God who holds my tears in loneliness and waiting.

Psalm 56:1-13

When we feel the sting of suffering—God has not left us alone in our tears. Instead, our tender God meets us through His Word providing up-close personal care in our suffering and sorrow. Psalm 56 is one such example of our God’s intimate care for us. Perhaps you’ve been here before. Perhaps you are here now, like David, “much afraid.” Fearful that your loneliness and waiting is pointless. Fearful that your grief and loss has no purpose. Afraid that your pain and hopelessness will find no relief. If you know anything of these things, then Psalm 56 invites you to come and rest in the God who knows your tears and tossings.

Philippians 4:4-9