Paul uses the first 3 chapters of this letter to encourage the Thessalonian believers. He shifts gears in the final 2 chapters to challenge them. Like the Thessalonians, we also need to be both encouraged and challenged! Paul is crystal clear that our primary purpose in this world is to live a life pleasing to God. A huge part of that, is learning to walk in holiness and sexual purity in a world that doesn’t share the Kingdom values of Jesus. Our walk in these areas speak to the world around us about the God we serve and the Kingdom He’s ushering in. Living a life of holiness is pleasing to God, good for us, and a message to the world that there’s a better and more beautiful design for life that can be found in Jesus!

Paul expresses his gratitude upon hearing of the Thessalonian Christian’s love for one another and faithfulness to God. Even in his own distress and affliction, hearing of their faithfulness brings comfort and encouragement to his soul. As believers, we ought to find comfort in one another’s faith. We weep with those who weep, and rejoice with those who rejoice. We are one family, never islands in the Christian movement. Paul also prays for them, that their love would grow deeper for one another and the world around them. His aim is to see them fully prepared for the return of Jesus. Living in light of the 2nd coming will be a strong theme from this point forward in Paul’s writings to the Thessalonians and should mark every generation of Christ followers.

As a community of faith, New Life has so much to be grateful for! God has been immeasurably faithful through a challenging season of history. We’ve seen God at work, and we’re trusting Him to do even more in us and through us in the days ahead. Vision is a picture of the future that produces action in the present. Jesus gives us quite a vision for His church. Advancing, conquering, building, knocking down the defenses of an evil kingdom. Not with swords or tanks, but with the good news of Jesus and by the power of the Holy Spirit enabling us to love gently and speak boldly. The question each of us must ask afresh is: what’s my part to play in this story? What step can I take in 2022 to advance the ekklesia (church) of Jesus in my context? When we align our vision with the vision of Jesus, the gates of hell will not prevail against us!

Have you ever heard someone say something like: “I’m cool with God, I’m just not into organized religion.”? When someone says that, what they usually mean is that they’ve been wounded or mistreated in a church setting. The truth is, many churches today look very little like what Jesus had in mind when He designed His Church. Paul helps us unmuddy the waters and understand what a church family should really be like in this part of his letter to this new church plant in Thessalonica. He models a deep love for the people of God that we should emulate in our community of faith. He reminds us that we should always be alert to the tactics of our enemy who seeks to divide and destroy. Finally, Paul reminds us that living out the gospel in affliction is part of Christian journey that should drive us closer to Jesus rather than cause us to pull away. The Christian life isn’t always easy, but it’s the best, most rewarding life possible on this planet!

Transformed and Transformational - Joe Dillon, Guest Preacher 02.06.22 by New Life of Asheville

Paul not only loves the believers in this new Thessalonian church plant, he’s also incredibly grateful for them! One of the reasons Paul is so grateful when he thinks of them, is because of how they received the Word of God when they heard it. Unlike the Jews who rejected Jesus, these Thessalonian believers eagerly accepted the Word of God not as the word of man, but as the Word from the Almighty Himself. And although they suffered greatly because of their new found faith in Jesus, they were being transformed by the work of the Word in them. May we increasingly become a people of the Word, being transformed by the Holy Spirit, by embracing the only message that saves–the gospel of Jesus Christ.

As we move into the 2nd chapter of this powerful little letter, we see Paul working to accomplish a couple of important things: firstly, he presents a robust defense against his detractors and false teachers. Secondly, he gives us a practical pattern we can follow as disciples of Jesus. At the end of the day, Christians living out an authentically bold life is one of the greatest apologetics for the gospel message. We should all desire to live worthy lives in light of our worthy Savior, and the truth of the matter is that we can only do that as we press into Jesus, lean into the power of the Holy Spirit, and trust Him to lead us through the difficult seasons of life.

Paul celebrates the faith of these brand new believers even in the midst of some pretty challenging circumstances. Instead of shrinking back when persecuted or marginalized, the Thessalonian believers have become ferociously bold in their faith. In fact, their faith has become an example for churches across that entire area of the Roman Empire! In verse 10, Paul commends them for three specific things that we should pursue as modern day followers of Jesus. Turning from our idols, actively serving God in our context, and learning to wait with expectation on the return of Jesus are keys to a fruitful Christian life in any and all generations.

The large and bustling city of Thessalonica wasn’t originally in the Apostle Paul’s itinerary. But God had other plans and rerouted Paul and his team to this strategic city on the coast of Greece. After only a few weeks, a new church was born and Paul was forced to leave because of intense persecution. Soon after this young-faith community was birthed, they found themselves embroiled in challenges and difficulties. And yet, they persevered and prevailed. This little letter is written to teach them (and us) about how to pursue hopeful and holy lives in the midst of difficulty by keeping our eyes on the return of King Jesus.

Advent: Joy - Christmas Eve Eve 2021 - Chris Dillon, Lead Pastor, 12.23.21 by New Life of Asheville