The Life Changing church of the Thessalonians

1. The Life Changing church of the Thessalonians The influential church

2. Open • Share your experiences of God’s prayer in our lives. • Share the power of our prayer meeting last week that God had answered my mother’s need to get a maid.

3. Dig • Key verse: I Thessalonians 1: 4. • Read I Thessalonians 1 • Who were the writers to the church? • Where’s Thessalonica? Watch the video of Thessaloniki today. • How did the church come about? • The changing life of the Thessalonians church was from: Grace v.1 Peace v.1

4. Dig continued.. • From the powerful prayer of the saints: * Always giving thanks for them (v.2 -3) * Continue to prayer for: work produced by faith labor prompted by love endurance inspired by hope in Christ * From His Love v.4: His great love via His words v.4 Power of the Holy Spirit v.4.

5. Continued.. • The results of His changing Life’s work: * In spite of the sufferings (the Thessalonians church had gone through) they received the message with joy via the Holy Spirit. V6 * The church became a model church around them and well beyond. V. 7 (Refer to the map of Macedonia and Achaia). * Their life changing experiences were not just their own verbal saying, but others’ witness. V.9 * The most important changing of their life is: turning away from false idol worship to Christ v.9 * And, now they are serving the living true God and waiting for His Son’s coming back after His resurrection, because He’d saved us from the eternal punishment (second death) v. 10.

6. Reflect • What has Christ done in our life? • Have we experienced the changing of our life since we’ve accepted Christ as our savior? • Can someone share with the changes mentioned? I think this is not just a question for you, but for us as parents and adults for years in Christ if we’ve ever had. • If not, what should we do now to experience the changes in our Christ’s walk with Him?

7. Continued.. • The changing life of the Thessalonians church is from: - prayer of the saints (we need to pray for each other. - His work and that has been completed – grace and peace. We just need to accept them. - Let His work complete in our lives in work produced by faith, labor prompted by love, inspiration by hope in Christ. - Allow His words to take ground in us – it means personal quiet time with Him not once a week, but daily. - Let His Spirit work in us to convict us – it means allowing His Spirit not to grieve, but we should be sensitive to His Spirit. (let your light shine before men and glorify your Father, which is in Heaven)

8. Continued.. • Listen to His message via sermon, Sunday School etc. (receiving them with joy) • Let your work speak. (like the Thessalonians church as an example and reported by others, and not themselves). • Always put Him first (seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, like the Thessalonians turning away from false idols to Christ, waiting patiently for His coming after resurrection and understanding He’d saved us from eternal punishment.

9. To sum up of how to experience His changing life in us: • On our sides just one simple word, “Let”, i.e. let His Spirit work in us and we just need to submit to Him. • On our saved Christian brothers’ side, pray for them – the power of prayer works in other lives.

10. Early name Saul (Acts 22:3) Educated under Gamaliel, a Pharisee sect leader. He was hostile to Christ until his conversion on the way to Damascus. (Acts 9:1-2), then gave his life to teaching and writing to strengthen churches. His inspired letters are known as Pauline Epistles. Timeline: saved in 33 AD 47-48 AD 1st missionary journey 49-52 AD 2nd 51-54 wrote 1st and 2nd Thessalonians 56-58 3rd 58-60 Imprisoned at Caesarea 60-64 house arrest at Rome 67 died Paul, [little,small]

11. A native of Lystra From mixed religious family, mother, Eunice and grandmother Lois. Both were Jewish; father a Greek. He served along the side with Paul. Accompanied with Paul in six letters, Corinthians, Philippians, Colossians, Thessalonians and Philemon. Timothy [honor of God]

12. A leader at Jerusalem with prophetic gifts. In Acts, he was sent by the Jerusalem church to welcome Gentiles to the fellowship of the church at Jerusalem. Silas was chosen by Paul for his 2nd journey after Paul quarrelling with Barnabas over John Mark. His place actually replaced John rather than Barnabas. Silas [three, the third]

14. The formation of the Thessalonians church • Located at the largest city of Rome. • During Roman occupation, its head quarter was at Macedonia. • Today’s Greek, Thessaloniki. • The name was chosen for the daughter of Phillip II and half sister of Alexander the Great. • Paul visited the place during the 2nd journey and began a church there.