Sermon Summary: In Luke 4, Jesus is led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness where Jesus fasts for forty days, is attacked by Satan, and finally faces three major temptations. Although Satan tempts Jesus to doubt his Father’s love and care for Him, Jesus resists temptation by clinging closely to the scriptures (especially from Deuteronomy 6-8). After this testing, Jesus emerges clearly as the true and obedient Son of God. We learn that Jesus is God’s true Son Israel who succeeds in the Wilderness testing when Israel could not. Jesus fulfills God’s covenant for all who believe. Secondarily, Jesus shows us God’s true image for humanity giving us an example for resisting temptation.
Listen to the sermon HERE. Watch the sermon video:
Memory Verse: “And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.” Deuteronomy 8:3 (ESV)
Discussion Questions:
Read through Luke 4:1-13. We recommend using the questions from the DNA Meeting Guide to help guide your study of this text. The guide also gives your DNA group a simple structure to work through the passage and discuss together.
Getting to the Heart - What does it mean for us that Jesus remains fully obedient and faithful in the wilderness temptations/testing (while Israel and all of us failed)? How is this good news specifically for you today?
Living the Way of Jesus - Think about an area of your life that you regularly find yourself tempted in. What can you learn from Jesus' example in how he fights temptation? How might the Spirit be leading you to apply this in your life?
Kids Worship Questions:
What is the longest you have ever gone without food? How do you typically respond when you are extremely hungry?
Read Luke 4:1-13. What sticks out to you in this passage? What questions do you have?
Does God love and relate to us on the basis of how well we do? Why is Jesus obedience in the wilderness good news for us?
What is an area of temptation in your life (anger at a sibling, disobeying, mean to others, lying, etc.)? What can we learn from Jesus about how we can resist the temptation to sin?
Series Overview: Over the next 15 weeks, the historic church calendar takes us into the seasons of Epiphany, into Lent, and toward Good Friday and Easter. During these weeks we will look at the life of Jesus, and “walk with him” toward the cross and the tomb. We will do so using Luke’s Gospel account. Luke writes with a clear purpose (1:1-4). He wants to help us see Jesus clearly. He gives us a well researched, “orderly account” that shows us who Jesus is and what he has done for the world.
Sermon Summary: In this sermon, we looked at Luke 3, in which Luke details for us the ministry of John the Baptizer and the baptism of Jesus. There are two stunning events that happen in this chapter. First, the fact that Jesus comes to be baptized should give us pause. Even John himself is hesitant to baptize Jesus. Why is he baptized? What does it accomplish? Second, as Jesus comes up out of the water God the Father speaks and God the Spirit appears. In this sermon, we consider what these events tell us about who Jesus is and what he
has accomplished on our behalf.
Key Scriptures to consider: Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” (Luke 3:21-22)
Discussion Questions:
What is unique about Luke’s gospel? What is his purpose in writing? (Consider Luke 1:1-4).
What does John the Baptizer teach us about the Christ? What things would he do?
Discuss the scene at Jesus’s baptism. What is the significance of this event?
Pastor Jordan shared, “Jesus would go on to take our cross and give us his crown.” This means the word the Father spoke over Jesus, He now speaks over all who are in Christ. That means you are a “dearly loved child of God”. God is pleased with you. Discuss.
How does understanding your “gospel identity” inform the way you live this week? What needs to start, stop, or change in your life because of this truth?
During the season of Epiphany through Lent and Easter, we will be looking at the person and work of Jesus in the Gospel of Luke. We hope to work our way through Luke’s Gospel to set our eyes on Jesus. In Luke 1:1-4, Luke states his purpose for writing his Gospel: “Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.”
We see in these first four verses that Luke’s purpose was to assure Theophilus (most likely a governing official whose name means “friend of God”) of the things he had been taught concerning Jesus. Luke also notes in these opening verses that he has compiled an orderly account from eyewitnesses and ministers of the word. For us, we too can read Luke as a way to be sure of who Jesus is and what he has done.
While we won’t address every part of the book, we will work our way through Luke’s Gospel highlighting key moments and details of Jesus story. Our hope to grow deeper in our understanding and assurance of who Jesus is as we meditate his life, ministry, death, and resurrection through the Gospel of Luke.
Sermon Schedule and Texts
Sunday, January 13th - The Baptism of Jesus - Luke 3:15-21 Sunday, January 20th - Temptations of Jesus - Luke 4:1-13 Sunday, January 27th - Good news of the Kingdom - Luke 4:14-21 Sunday, February 3rd - Spiritual Authority - Luke 4:22-41 Sunday, February 10th - Jesus Calls Disciples - Luke 5:1-11 Sunday, February 17th - The Blessed Life - Luke 6:17-26 Sunday, February 24th - Loving Our Enemies - Luke 6:27-38 Sunday, March 3rd - The Transfiguration - Luke 9:28-43 Sunday, March 10th - The Lord's Prayer - Luke 11:1-13 Sunday, March 17th - Repentance is Required - Luke 13 Sunday, March 24th - God's Banquet - Luke 14:7-24 Sunday, March 31st - Cost of Discipleship - Luke 14:25-35 Sunday, April 7th - The Prodigal Son - Luke 15:11-32 Sunday, April 14th - The Triumphal Entry - Luke 19:28-40 Sunday, April 21st - The Resurrection of Jesus - Luke 24:1-12
Resources
Worship Guide - We will have a worship guide for this series available at our Sunday gathering to help you prepare for worship on Sundays. (Download PDF Version Here)
Reflection Guides - Each week following the sermon a reflection guide will be posted to help DNA groups further discuss the text together.
DNA Reading Guide for Luke - We have put together a simple reading guide to help you read through the book of Luke throughout the series. Download Link
Luke ESV Scripture Journal - We highly recommend you grab an ESV scripture journal (LINK) to use in your DNA group and to bring with you on Sundays to take notes. We will have a handful available for purchase ($5) at our gatherings. For those wanting to draw and who appreciate a more artistic approach to journaling, we recommend this ESV journal (LINK).
Bible Project Videos - These are helpful videos that give you the big picture idea of Luke’s Gospel. Great resources for adults and kids. Links - Luke 1-9, Luke 10-24
REFLECT: Good reflection starts with slowing down, quieting our soul, and tuning our mind and hearts to the Lord. Begin with 5-10 minutes of silent listening before the Lord. If you’ve never tried to sit silently with God this might feel uncomfortable at first. Here are a few tips: Find a quiet place, turn off your phone, turn off music, etc. Work to still your heart and your mind before God. It might help to pray Psalm 131. After spending a few minutes quieting your soul work through the reflection questions below.
Take the 10 minutes to reflect on God’s work in your own life personally over the last year. Some questions to consider: What has God taught you this year? How have you seen change or transformation in your own life? How have you grown in your awareness of God’s goodness and glory? How have you grown in your awareness of sin and your need for the gospel? In what ways has God blessed you this year? How has God proven faithful in your times of need? How has God worked in your family? What are your hopes and prayers for your self in the next year? Set a timer and don’t move on until you’ve reflected for 10 full minutes.
Take another 10 minutes and reflect on God's work in/through your missional community over the last year. Some questions to consider: How is your missional community different than it was a year ago? How has God used your missional community in your life? How have you seen God work in the lives of others? How has God worked through your missional community in our city? What has been your favorite moment in community this year? What are your hopes and prayers for your missional community in the next year? Set a timer and don’t move on until you’ve reflected for 10 full minutes.
Take another 10 minutes and reflect on God’s work in/through Redeemer over the last year. Some questions to consider: How have you seen God at work in our church as a whole? How have you seen his power on display? What are the things that God is doing in our church family that fills you with thanksgiving? What specific people has God used in your life? What have been some of your favorite moments with Redeemer this year? What are your hopes and prayers for Redeemer in the next year? Set a timer and don’t move on until you’ve reflected for 10 full minutes.
SHARE: The purpose of this exercise is to remind you of God’s ever-faithful presence in your life. We hope that by reflecting on God’s work your faith is strengthened. We also hope that it will remind you that you have a story to share. If you are willing, we would love to hear your stories of God’s works. You can share your stories with us HERE.
This month instead of a partners meeting we opted to post a video update, along with this post. We will have video updates each quarter for 2019, along with a partners banquet next December (2019) to celebrate the past year and look forward to 2020 together. I hope that this helps keep you updated on where we are as a church and where we are heading over the next few months.
Before I jump into the update, I just wanted to remind you what partnership means at Redeemer. First, what brings us together is our faith in the Gospel. We have professed faith in the Gospel, and it centers our life together. Second, we are committed to regularly gathering together and being active participants. We use our gifts to serve one another at our Sunday gatherings and in our MC gatherings. Third, we each are committed to growing as disciples of Jesus as we learn and live the way of Jesus together. Finally, partners are committed to giving their time, talent, and treasure to support the ministry of Redeemer. This means giving financially as the Lord leads and also using your gifts to serve others in our church.
Advent 2018 Gathering Schedule Sunday, December 16th - 10 am Sunday Gathering Sunday, December 23rd - 10 am Sunday Gathering w/ Kids Christmas Special Monday, December 24th - 4 pm Christmas Eve Gathering (Family gathering, limited childcare) Sunday, December 30th - SABBATH SUNDAY - No Sunday Gathering Sunday, January 6th - 10 am Sunday Gathering (2019 Vision Sunday)
2019 Sermon Overview - Our elder team is excited about the sermon series we have planned for 2019. You can download the 2019 Sermon Overview Here.
Discipleship Foundations 2.0 - In February 2019 we will kick off discipleship foundations 2.0 which has been redesigned to equip you to learn and live the way of Jesus in the context of DNA groups. The course will now be ten weeks (from February 10th to April 14th) and will meet each Sunday at 4 pm. Even if you have taken discipleship foundations in the past, I want to encourage you to take it again and bring your DNA group with you. I am recommending that anyone struggling with DNA come to discipleship foundations as a DNA group for those ten weeks to help launch your DNA group in the right direction. You can read more and signup here. Email josh@RedeemerRR.org if you have any questions.
Partnership and Numerical Update - We currently have 87 adult covenant partners (we have added around 15 new partners in 2018). Amongst our partners, we have approximately 80 children represented in those families (167 total people). On Sundays, we have had anywhere from 130 to 225 people attend our gatherings (partners and people who regularly attend but have not yet partnered with Redeemer). In our missional communities, we have 100 adults and 85 children who regularly participate in our groups. This year we also launched our monthly youth gathering where we have 10-12 middle school students who have met each month to hare a meal and work through the Apostles Creed together.
Main Idea - Paul closes his letter with some final instructions for us to “keep the faith.” Three things from these verses that I want us to take note of. Responding to Evil, Rejoicing in all things, Receiving what is true and Rejecting what is Evil. And finally, Paul reminds us that all our efforts to “keep faith” are ultimately grounded and empowered by God himself who will himself keep us, spirit, soul, and body.
Discuss the questions below with your MC or DNA group.
What strikes you when you read this passage? What questions come to mind?
Responding to Evil: What is your typical response to people who wrong you? How does the way of Jesus challenge us to respond to evil done to us?
Rejoicing in all things: Why is it important to cultivate regular prayer with God and especially to have an attitude of thanksgiving? Is it possible to have a joy that transcends your circumstances?
Receiving what is true and Rejecting what is Evil - Why is it important that we neither blindly accept all spiritual teaching or prophecy nor that we immediately reject it? What is our guide in this? How might prophecy be a needed gift for us to “keep the faith?”
Read 1 Thess. 5:23-24. Throughout the entire series, these two verses have been our benediction. How does this verse encourage you and empower us to keep the faith?
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Kids Worship Questions
What was one thing you learned during the sermon that you could discuss with your parents?
How should we respond when other people treat us poorly? What might this look like when your brother or sister wrongs you?
Did you know you can talk with God wherever you go? Draw a picture of some of the places you like to go and imagine what it might look like to talk with God there.
Not everything we hear is true. We need to test what we learn with God’s word. Make a list of 3 things you believe to be true. Ask your parents to help you see if the bible agrees with those things or if it teaches something different.
Main Idea - One of the primary means God has given us for “keeping faith” is to worship with and belong to a Gospel-centered church. One important aspect of belonging to a Gospel-centered church is encouraging one another. Paul gives us a simple and yet holistic way to do this. Admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, and help the weak. All of this is done with the kindness and patience of Christ Jesus.
Discuss the questions below with your MC or DNA group.
What strikes you when you read this passage? What questions come to mind?
Why is it important to honor and esteem those who are in spiritual leadership in your life? What are ways you can support those who lead you spiritually?
What are the three approaches Paul gives for how we can care well for one another?
Which one of these three is strongest in your life? Which one do you wish you received more of? Which one do you sense God asking you to give more of?
Why is it important to remember God’s patience with you? How does this help us better care and counsel others?
Kids Worship Questions
What is one thing that stuck out to you in this sermon? What questions come up that you could discuss with your parents or a pastor?
Can you list some of the people who help you learn more about Jesus? How can you thank them for this?
Can you think of a time when your parents had to correct you about something? Why is it important that parents admonish or warn kids?
How can you use your words to encourage others you know in our church and at school?
Main Idea - Often when we talk about the return of Jesus we either get distracted in speculations about how and when, or we tune out entirely. Paul’s words encourage us to live sober lives understanding that Jesus will return to judge the living and the dead and make all things new. This reality awakens us to our need for Jesus and reminds us that this present life matters to God.
Discuss the questions below with your MC or DNA group.
What strikes you when you read this passage? What questions come to mind?
As you read this text, what tensions do you feel?
How does end times mania distract and discourage us from really hearing what Paul is saying here? Why are speculations and complex end times schemes unhelpful and even dangerous to our faith (consider 1 Timothy 1:3-4)?
What are ways you find yourself going through life asleep or drunk on temporary concerns? What practices do we learn in this passage to help us “stay awake.” Consider verse 8. What might this look like practically and how can you help one another cultivate this in your life?
Why is it important that we wait with a sober expectation of the return of Christ? How does our understanding of future things inform our present living?
Kids Worship Questions
What is one thing that stuck out to you in this sermon? What questions come up that you could discuss with your parents or a pastor?
While we wait for Jesus to return, how does Paul instruct us to live? Draw a picture that represents this way of living as we wait for Jesus to return.
Have you ever done something wrong that you wouldn’t want others to know or felt bad about? How is Jesus good news for those who fear God’s judgment?
Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 5:10, “God has not destined us for wrath but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him.” Do you believe this? Anyone who trusts what God has done in Jesus can receive God’s forgiveness and new life.
Have you ever considered that in our culture today we have “normalized/depersonalized” death? What contributes to this? Why do you think we rarely consider or think about death?
Have there been times in your life when the reality of death set in for you (perhaps through the loss of a loved one)? How did this effect you? What questions did it raise in your mind and heart?
What is the Christian hope of resurrection in life and death?
Jordan said that this passage (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18) points us to our hope of “life after life after death”. Have you every thought of it that way? There is “life after death” (with Jesus in Heaven) and “life after life after death” (with Jesus upon his return in the new earth with new bodies and with those we love).
The point of this passage isn’t to be predictive, but to point us to the promise. It’s meant to engage our imagination regarding our future hope. Imagine what it will be like to be with Jesus and those you love in the new earth. What comes to mind? How does it fill you with wonder?
What is God speaking to you? Who can you share it with?
Main Idea - At this point in his letter to the Thessalonian church, the Apostle Paul isn’t teaching anything new. Rather, he is reinforcing some of the most important and basic realities of the Christian life— we are to be known for our love and respected for our lives. In fact, he says that we are to “keep loving one another more and more” and we should “aspire to live quiet lives”. It is important that we don’t misunderstand this as a call to retreat from the world. Instead, we must understand that the Gospel works through faithful, ordinary people who live, love, and work for God’s glory in all things.
Listen to the sermon audio here.
You can also check out more resources for this series HERE.
Discuss the questions below with your MC or DNA group.
Why is it so important for a church to “love one another with brotherly love”? How have you seen or experienced this in the church? What does it look like for Redeemer to be a church that is “known for its love”?
When you read verse 11, what challenges you? How are these instructions connected to the gospel? How does the life, death, resurrection of Jesus lead us to a quiet and hardworking life?
Do you think that Christians are respected by non-believers? Why or why not? Are we known for our love and respected for our lives?
Why is it important that we are respected for our lives?
How does it make you feel to hear that God primarily works through ordinary, everyday people?
In light of this sermon or this discussion, what is God saying to you?
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Kids Worship Questions
Do your parents ever have to tell or teach you the same things over and over again? What is Paul (the author of 1 Thessalonians) teaching this church again?
Is it hard for you to love your siblings sometimes? Why?
Did you know that those in our church are our siblings in Christ? How can you show love to other people/kids in our church family?
What is respect? Who do you respect?
What areas of your life can you do good work that shows off Jesus?
Main Idea - The Apostle Paul tells us that following Jesus means abstaining from sexual immorality. Sex is a sacred gift to be enjoyed in the safe confines of marriage. This instruction flows from God’s loving care for us to not be destroyed by the idol of sex and to discover true intimacy through the Spirit within us.
Sorry, audio did not record this week.
You can also check out more resources for this series HERE.
Discuss the questions below with your MC or DNA group.
What strikes you when you read this passage? What questions come to mind?
As you read this text, what tensions do you feel? How does your own story play into this?
Why is sexual immorality such an important subject to address for Paul? How are the approaches of religious hypocrisy who harshly condemn sexual sinners unhelpful? How are the approaches of “open and affirming” views on sexuality unhelpful?
Why is the cultural idea of “following your heart or passions” dangerous? In what ways do you sense the Spirit leading you to submit your sexuality to God? Break up into gender-specific groups (if not already). For those willing, share how God’s grace has helped you in the area of sexuality. For some, this might mean the confession of sin where you need forgiveness and help. Others might need to confess a need for help in working through past painful experiences.
Close your time by praying for one another and the needs that were shared.
Main Idea - We live in between the resurrection of Jesus and his return. We live with the knowledge of Jesus’ victory, but we are waiting for that victory to come in full upon his return. In the meantime, we live in a world where the effects of sin and the presence of evil are still present. We will struggle, we might suffer, but we must not allow our struggles to cause us to loose faith. The further reality of Christ’s return is the source of our strength, the object of our faith, and the reason for our love in the midst of our struggle.
Listen to the sermon audio here.
You can also check out more resources for this series HERE.
Discuss the questions below with your MC or DNA group.
In this chapter, Paul is concerned that believers might feel abandoned and unloved by God in their struggles and sufferings. Have you ever felt this way? What helps us in these moments of doubt?
As a Christian do you expect to struggle and suffer? Should we expect this? What do we struggle with as we live in the “in between” of Jesus’s resurrection and his glorious return?
Why is it so important that you are honest about your struggles?
What helps us keep faith in the midst of our struggles? What does it look like for you to “abound in love for one another”?
On October 14th Flourish will be releasing a collaborative album on behalf of Hope Mommies, an organization whose sole purpose is to come alongside moms and families who have experienced infant loss, bringing comfort, encouragement, companionship, and hope as they continue to walk this side of eternity without their beloved son or daughter.
Flourish is providing 2,500 physical copies to Hope Mommies chapters nationwide at no cost. We would love to see Redeemer support the project/Hope Mommies/Flourish by helping raise $750 through the process to help cover costs and allow for more albums to be sent out to Hope Mommies.
Here are 4 potential ways you can support:
Buy a physical or digital copy of the album
Buy an album for a friend you know has lost a beloved child to support them.
Donate to support Hope Mommies
Pray for this project to be a blessing to Hope Mommies & anyone who might hear it
We will have albums available at our gathering Oct 14th & a donation box set up at our gatherings through the month of October.
Main Idea - The scriptures invite us to receive the Word of God as our authority which will challenge our previous thinking and assumptions. Listen to the sermon audio here.
You can also checkout more resources for this series HERE.
Discuss the questions below with your MC or DNA group.
What are some common beliefs you or the people around you hold? Where did these ideas come from and what is the basis for their authority?
Take a minute to read and consider 1 Thessalonians 2:13. What observations do you have about this verse? What keeps jumping out to you?
What does the Apostle Paul mean when he refers to the “word of God”? How does the word of God challenge each and every person?
What does it mean to have a Gospel-centered understanding of the scriptures? How does it change the way we read the scriptures if we understand it as a larger story with Jesus as the hero? What part of the scriptures are still difficult for you to embrace as “authoritative”?
Reflect on what we have read so far in 1 Thessalonians chapters 1 and 2. How has the scripture challenged you personally? What sin in your heart might need to be confessed? What good news about God’s grace might you need to receive?
Main Idea - Leadership is such an important part of healthy Gospel-centered churches but many of us have experienced hurtful leadership. Gospel leadership is a new way of understanding leadership. Gospel leaders suffer so that others may flourish, are motivated by the approval and will of God, and lead through a shared life.
Listen to the sermon audio here.
You can also checkout more resources for this series HERE.
Discuss the questions below with your MC or DNA group.
How has the use of power in leadership been a source of pain for you in the past? How might this affect your present view of authority or leadership?
What are some poor motivations for leading or influencing others? How can you relate to this in your unique areas of leadership.
Gospel leadership flows from a shared life which creates the context for connection, instruction, and correction. Consider this statement in light of 1 Thess. 2:7-8. In what ways have you experienced this kind of leadership in your life? What ways do you long to experience this more? How might you apply this to the people God has put in your life to lead?
Why is it important that instruction and correction happen within the context of shared life? What happens when you have shared life but there is no instruction or correction?
How might God be at work to help you rethink leadership? What implications would that have for your life and your MC/DNA life together?
Foster Village has been BUSY ever since we began operating out of Redeemer in January of this year. Rarely has a week gone by where we haven’t fulfilled at least 2 requests! What a joy it has been to serve these foster families! Here are a few events and service opportunities we have coming up in October and November that I want to bring to your attention.
Throughout the month of October – we will have running Socktober! We are heading into a time of high demand for socks, underwear, and warm pajamas. We will also be taking monetary donations to directly serve our community with these needs. Donation drop-off can be located in the foyer of Redeemer starting October 1.
Two more dates to put on your calendar – October 20 and November 10.
October 20th we will be switching out our entire inventory of clothing from summer to fall/winter and could use lots of extra hands! We will be up there all day so please feel free to come and go as your time allows.
November 10th we will be cleaning out the garage at the office/house next door. Along with putting up some shelving to better organize and store our beds and mattresses. Please bring some tools and brooms and let’s knock it out!
We do also have a Christmas project in the works as well - stay tuned for details!
If you have any questions or would like to know more about how to get involved with Foster Village – please feel free to email me!
Main Idea - Keeping faith in the age of unbelief is challenging and often seems hopeless. Although the church has often contributed to this difficulty, participation in the Gospel-centered church remains the primary means by which God preserves our faith. Listen to the sermon audio HERE.
You can also check out more resources for this series HERE.
Discuss the questions below with your MC or DNA group.
What is the main story behind Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians? Who is he writing to and what are his primary concerns?
Why is membership in a local and the universal church important? How does understanding Paul’s letters written to churches (rather than individuals) change the way we understand and apply them?
What are some of the ways that the church (locally and universally) has departed from the Gospel and corresponding way of life? How has this contributed to people losing faith? How have you experienced this?
What are the characteristics of a church that Paul thanks God for in 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10? How do these compare with your own metrics for what a church should be? What aspect of Paul’s instructions seem most needed in your life?
Read 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10 again slowly. Keeping faith means that we as a church community and individuals have turned from idols to worship the Triune God. This happened when we first believed and we continue to live with ongoing repentance and faith. Share your story of how God led you to turn from idols to worship Him. What are the present idols that God might be leading you to turn away from in repentance and trust in Jesus again? Why is ongoing repentance and faith needed as we await Jesus to return and make all things new?
This Sunday we will begin a new series in the book of 1 Thessalonians: Keeping Faith in the Age of Unbelief. 1 Thessalonians is a letter written by the Apostle Paul (along with his ministry team) and is one of the earliest documents written in the New Testament. In Acts 17 we learn that Paul preached the Gospel in Thessalonica and some believed. This small group of believers formed the early seeds of the Thessalonian church. Well before he wanted to move on Paul was forced to leave by the intense persecution of the Jewish leaders. As we read 1 Thessalonians, we see how difficult this premature departure was for Paul. He feared that the pressures from both the Jews and idolatrous Greek’s would lead these infant believers to loose faith. It is out of this loving concern for the Thessalonian church that Paul writes this letter. We will see throughout the letter that Paul desires to strengthen and encourage them to keep the faith as they live in the last days. They will encounter persecution, conflict, discouragement, temptations, and alluring idols, but their real hope is to persevere in the faith he delivered to them. They lived in a time when the kingdom has been inaugurated but is yet to be fully realized. The difficulty they faced is the tension of living between the already but not yet.
In our day, we face the same challenges of keeping faith. Just as the Thessalonians face external temptations (both religious and idolatrous), we face the same. Both of us live in what the Bible calls the last days (the tension between the already and not-yet of the Kingdom). In our modern age of technology and progress faith is often seen as antiquated and unneeded. Along with this, many churches have become swept up in this age of unbelief and have lost their distinction from the surrounding culture. The church has often been far from what the scriptures instruct it to be. From corruption in church leadership to crazy charts about end times chaos to questioning the authority of the apostles teaching, there are many compelling reasons to doubt the Christian faith. Because of this and a variety of other reasons, many people have abandoned the Christian faith. Although the temptation is real, we believe the answer is not losing faith but rather a rediscovery of the ancient faith passed on to us through the church and in the scriptures. In this series we will dig into the this ancient letter from Paul as it helps give us clarity and courage to keep faith in Jesus. As we do we will address skeptics, sinners, and saints as we seek God’s help to keep faith in an age of unbelief.
We have several resources to help you engage this sermon series.
ESV Scripture Journal - We recommend purchasing an ESV Scripture journal to take notes, mark up, and take with you for group discussions. You can purchase them from Amazon HERE.
1 Thessalonians Prayer Guide - We want to invite you to join our leaders in praying for our church during this series. Paul’s hope for the Thessalonians to keep faith included both his instruction to them and his prayers on their behalf. This guide contains the three main prayers Paul prays for the Thessalonian church along with instructions on how you can pray for our local church. You can pickup a copy at the resource table or download the PDF HERE.
Reflection Guides - Each week we will post a reflection guide that helps us to reflect on the previous weeks sermon passage. These will typically be posted by Monday and are helpful to use with your DNA group or MC discussion.
Worship Guides - As we do with each series we will have a worship guide available to pickup at the Sunday gathering. This will give you the scriptures we are covering in advance and some of the other elements of liturgy in our gathering. We hope these help you better prepare for our time of worship together.
Sermon Schedule:
September 23rd - A Church to Be Thankful For - 1 Thess. 1:1-10
September 30th - Rethinking Leadership: Lessons From A Spiritual Father - 1 Thess. 2:1-12
Discuss the questions below with your MC or DNA group.
What is our suburban cultures predominate view on wealth and material goods? How has living in this culture shaped your own views of “the good life?”
What are some of the dangers Paul talks about in 1 Timothy 6:17-19 facing those who are rich? What part of his warning hits home with you?
How does the Gospel free us from the chains of greed/excess and create in us generous hearts? What Gospel truth do you need to cling to when you’re tempted towards excess or greed?
Take a minute to consider the resources God has given you (Time, Talent, Treasure). What area do you sense the Spirit leading you towards generosity (Community, Church, Needy)
Where might there be needs that your excess resources can serve others? What needs do you have that others might be able to help with?
1 Timothy 6:19 says, “storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of what is truly life.” Spend some time meditating on this verse. How might this motivate our hearts to increasingly practice generosity?
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Kids Worship Questions
Can you think of something you have that you don’t like to share? Maybe your time, toys, or money? Why do you think it is hard for people to share with others?
When we get a lot of stuff (toys, money, gifts, etc.) we are prone to get proud of our stuff and feel secure because of our stuff. Can you think of an example of this in your life? How does trusting Jesus help us?
The bible tells us that if we are given many riches that we should see this as an opportunity to share with many. What has God given you and your family? What might it look like to share what you have with those in need?
Main Idea: This week we considered what it might look like to be a people of creativity in a culture of consumption. You can listen to the podcast here.
Discuss the questions below with your MC or DNA group.
What can we learn about God through these passages in Genesis? What role does God play in creation? What role are humans given?
God gives human beings the task of creating (with the materials God had placed in the creation) for life and beauty. Why are both of these important?
What are some poor motivations for working to create for life and beauty? How do these lead to distorting God’s original purposes? Examples from society? Your life?
How has God gifted you to create? How might your gifts contribute to the churches task of reflecting the creativity of God (creating life and beauty that displays the glory of God)?
As you have considered theses scriptures and listened to the sermon, is there anything you sense the Spirit leading you to confess and turn from? Stop to confess together, encourage one another, and pray for God’s help.
