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PACK THE PLACE (2 OF 16)

by Tim Badal

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10
This content is part of a series.


Pack the Place (2 of 16)
Series: Ready
Tim Badal
1 Thessalonians 1:1-10


We're in the second week of a series entitled ''Ready,'' in the books of First and Second Thessalonians. The Apostle Paul wrote these books in the first century to a church in the city of Thessalonica in modern day Greece (thus, it's called Thessalonians). These letters were written to help this young, fledgling church know what it means to live an upright and godly life amidst all the trials, tribulations and troubles that they may face in the world.

Our goal in this series is to go through these letters verse by verse to find out what the Apostle Paul is trying to tell us and how we can apply these lessons to our own lives here in the year 2016 in the Fox Valley Area at Village Bible Church.

As we open to 1 Thessalonians 1, we find a church that set an example to be followed. Paul says, ''You have become an example to so many people'' (1 Thessalonians 1:7). We want to learn from their example. We want to imitate what they were doing. They weren't doing it all perfectly, but we want to learn what made their church a place of life change in the community and world around them.

As I look at verse seven, I wonder what made them great and what might have kept them from being great? Paul wrote about two things that they were doing well at the time but also about things that could have hindered or handicapped their ability to continue moving forward. The first thing he addressed was struggles. There were all kinds of afflictions, trials and tribulations that were going on in their lives. Struggles can thwart a church's ability to do what God has called it to do. No doubt we as a church will face struggles: between people in our church, with unity, financial, or struggles with the world we're trying to reach with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Any of these struggles can keep a church from doing all that it's supposed to do.

The second thing is something we don't always see as a hi ...

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