Paul Prayed For ThemPaul Prayed For Them

• 1 Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

• 2 We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our making mention of you in our prayers;prayers;

The church was the Elect of GodThe church was the Elect of God

• 3 Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;

• 4 Knowing, brethren beloved, your your election of God.election of God.

The Power in the Word of GodThe Power in the Word of God

• 5 For our gospelour gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.

• 6 And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in having received the word in much afflictionmuch affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost.

The church was spoken ofThe church was spoken ofhighly by othershighly by others

• 7 So that ye were ensamplesye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia.

• 8 For from you For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith your faith to God-ward is spread abroadto God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing.

Proof of Idol WorshippersProof of Idol WorshippersChangingChanging

• 9 For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idolsye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God;

• 10 And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.

• Building Up the Building Up the church is so church is so importantimportant

• In God’s sight!In God’s sight!

“For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building. 10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.”

“For we are God’s fellow Workers”

Save Souls - Luke 19:10Church is God’s way of saving souls - Acts 2:47

“whosoever will let him take the water of life freely” Rev. 22:17

WE ARE TO BUILD UP THE CHURCH

Revelation 3:15-16 Church at Laodicea Neither cold nor hot = just lukewarm Vomit / spew thee out of my mouth

Lukewarm members… Attend part of the time Put church first part of the time Compromise the truth Do not see their condition

Col. 3:23-24 “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men,”

“let your hearts be in your work” WHOLEHEARTEDLY

Ecclesiastes 9:10 “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going.”

Lukewarm

1 Corinthians 11:30 “For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.”

Spiritual

SleepUnconscious of what is going on around usInsensible to dangerDo not hear or see

SinUnconscious of what is going on around usInsensible to dangerDeceived by sin

“Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.”

Ephesians 5:14

“And this, knowing the season, that already it is time for you to awake out of sleep: for now is salvation nearer to us than when we first believed.”

Romans 13:11 ASV

“The hour has come for you to wake from sleep” ESV

Sleepers

John 8:32 “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

What is truth ? - “thy word is truth” Jn. 17:17

Ephesians 4:15 “But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

Jude 3 “contend earnestly for the faith”

1 Peter 3:15 “be ready always to give an answer”

Acts 18:28 “For he mightily convinced the Jews, and that publickly, shewing by the scriptures that Jesus was Christ.”

Acts 19:8 “disputing and persuading”

Defend the Truth

Mark 16:15 “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.”

2 Timothy 2:2 NKJV “And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”

Spread the Truth

Possible to backslide1 Cor. 10:12 NKJV “Therefore let him who

thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.”Jas. 1:16 “Do not err, my beloved brethren.”

Possible ways - Word, deed, thoughtForsaking assemblyStrong drinkAdulteryLying

“Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.” Jas.4:17

James 5:19-20 NKJV

19.“Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back,

20. let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.”

Backslider

James 5:16 “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”

1 John 1:9 KJV “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Confess = to declare or admit oneself guilty

ForsakeOut of town - vacation / visiting familyCan attend away from home church

Entertainment - hobby - Watch TV

What if you came to work only ½ the time ?What if your car only started ½ the time ?

Absentee’s

“Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” Hebrews 10:25

Definition = a rumor, report, tattle, or behind the scenes information especially of an intimate or personal nature

James 3:2-11 “full of deadly poison

James 4:11 “Do not speak evil of one another, brethren”

Prov.11:13 “A talebearer reveals secrets,”

Prov. 26:20 “Where there is no wood, the fire goes out; And where there is no talebearer, strife ceases.”

Gossipers

James 1:19 “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:”

Eph. 4:29 “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth,…”

Ephesians 4:31 “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:”

Sinned against one another - mad - no dealings

Psalms 133:1 - “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!”

1 John 4:20 “If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?”

Out of Fellowship

Ephesians 4:26 “Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:”

Matthew 18:15 (ESV) “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.”

Matt. 5:25 “Agree with your adversary quickly…”

Depressed, blue sad

What’s the use of even trying

Psalms 6:6 “I am weary with my groaning; all the night make I my bed to swim; I water my couch with my tears.”

Discouraged

Philippians 4:6 NKJV “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; ”

Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

Psalms 1:1-2 “Blessed is the man….. And in his law doth he meditate day and night.”

Takes work from all members all the time

“I have planted, Apollos watered; but God

gave the increase. 7 So then neither is he

that planteth any thing, neither he that

watereth; but God that giveth the increase.”

1 Corinthians 3:6-7

Lukewarm - - - - - - - - - Fire UpSleepers - - - - - - - - - - Wake UpKnow and Love Truth - - Speak UpBacksliders - - - - - - - - - Confess UpAbsentee’s - - - - - - - - - Show UpGossipers - - - - - - - - - Shut UpOut of Fellowship - - - - - Make upDiscouraged - - - - - - - - Look Up