Don't Check Out
Miles Seaborn
1 Thess. 3:1-10
Intro: Staying at a motel, revival, hard time. Mentally I had gone home! Heard the operator say, ''I'm sorry, Rev. Seaborn has gone home.'' ''Oh, no, I've got two more days!'' ''I'm sorry, according to our records you have already checked out!''
Are ye ever tempted to check out of life's battles and tensions? Is it worth the strain?
Difficult people, demanding situations, doctrinal differences? The temptation is to give up/check out, while the battle is constantly before us.
Paul was deeply concerned about the danger of the Thessalonians checking out on faithful discipleship. He couldn't get them off his mind and heart. His worry over them prompted him to send Timothy back to find out how they were doing. The report Timothy brought back to the apostle in Corinth was mixed. Yes, their authentic conversion had taken deep roots, and yes, they were holding fast in spite of persecution. But some were wavering, and all needed courage. So Paul's word to them was to ''stand fast in the Lord'' (1 Thess. 3:8). This is the jugular verse.
And Paul needed to stand fast in Corinth. Things were not any easier for him there than they were for the new Christians in Thessalonica. Two realities converged to fire the apostle to write stirring words of courage to his beloved friends. One was his knowledge of their need and the other was the Lord's gift to him in his needs. The Lord always gives us what we need, not only for ourselves, but for others who are confronting similar needs.
I am very thankful for the book of Acts as a companion to a study of Paul's Epistles. It helps us identify what he was going through during the time he wrote many of his letters of love and encouragement. This is especially true of the Thessalonian Epistles. In Acts 18 we discover what was happening to Paul when he received word of the Thessalonians and wrote this first letter. The courage he admonished them to have, had been given to him ...
Miles Seaborn
1 Thess. 3:1-10
Intro: Staying at a motel, revival, hard time. Mentally I had gone home! Heard the operator say, ''I'm sorry, Rev. Seaborn has gone home.'' ''Oh, no, I've got two more days!'' ''I'm sorry, according to our records you have already checked out!''
Are ye ever tempted to check out of life's battles and tensions? Is it worth the strain?
Difficult people, demanding situations, doctrinal differences? The temptation is to give up/check out, while the battle is constantly before us.
Paul was deeply concerned about the danger of the Thessalonians checking out on faithful discipleship. He couldn't get them off his mind and heart. His worry over them prompted him to send Timothy back to find out how they were doing. The report Timothy brought back to the apostle in Corinth was mixed. Yes, their authentic conversion had taken deep roots, and yes, they were holding fast in spite of persecution. But some were wavering, and all needed courage. So Paul's word to them was to ''stand fast in the Lord'' (1 Thess. 3:8). This is the jugular verse.
And Paul needed to stand fast in Corinth. Things were not any easier for him there than they were for the new Christians in Thessalonica. Two realities converged to fire the apostle to write stirring words of courage to his beloved friends. One was his knowledge of their need and the other was the Lord's gift to him in his needs. The Lord always gives us what we need, not only for ourselves, but for others who are confronting similar needs.
I am very thankful for the book of Acts as a companion to a study of Paul's Epistles. It helps us identify what he was going through during the time he wrote many of his letters of love and encouragement. This is especially true of the Thessalonian Epistles. In Acts 18 we discover what was happening to Paul when he received word of the Thessalonians and wrote this first letter. The courage he admonished them to have, had been given to him ...
There are 15505 characters in the full content. This excerpt only shows a 2000 character sample of the full content.
Price: $5.99 or 1 credit
