April 29, 2023 What Happened in Thessalonica

Part 5 | The 3rd Most Important Thing in Life

From 1 Thessalonians 4

The 3 MOST IMPORTANT things in life ACCORDING to the BIBLE:

1. A with God.

📖 John 17:3 ESV And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.

2. A with who have a with God.

📖 Matthew 12:50 ESV For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”

3. A with God and God’s people.

📖 1 Thessalonians 4:1-2 ESV Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more. 2 For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus.

Christian is to be more Christ.

What does Christian growth look like:

1. Growing in Christ means in .

📖 1 Thessalonians 4:3 ESV For this is the will of God, your sanctification

2. Growing in Christ means .

📖 1 Thessalonians 4:3b-4 ESV that you abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, 5 not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God

📖 Matthew 5:27-28 ESV “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

📖 Romans 1:24-27 ESV Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen. 26 For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; 27 and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.

📖 1 Thessalonians 4:6-7 ESV that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. 7 For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness.

3. Growing in Christ means in toward .

📖 1 Thessalonians 4:9 ESV Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, 10 for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more,

📖 Isaiah 54:13 ESV All your children shall be taught by the LORD, and great shall be the peace of your children.

📖 John 13:35 ESV By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

4. Growing in Christ means among .

📖 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 ESV and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, 12 so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.

📖 1 Thessalonians 3:11-12 ESV For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. 12 Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.