In the Meantime
Sermon Note
[1 Thessalonians 2:14] And then, dear brothers and sisters, you suffered persecution from your own countrymen. In this way, you imitated the believers in God's churches in Judea who, because of their belief in Christ Jesus, suffered from their own people, the Jews.
When we become COMPLACENT we stop becoming more like Jesus.
[1 Thessalonians 2:12] We pleaded with you, encouraged you, and urged you to live your lives in a way that God would consider worthy. For he called you to share in his Kingdom and glory.
You can make a DIFFERENCE in this world.
[2 Peter 3:8-9] But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. [9] The Lord isn't really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.
God is never in a HURRY.
[2 Thessalonians 3:13] As for the rest of you, dear brothers and sisters, never get tired of doing good.
God wants us to be BUSY making a difference for Him.
[Luke 19:11-14] The crowd was listening to everything Jesus said. And because he was nearing Jerusalem, he told them a story to correct the impression that the Kingdom of God would begin right away. [12] He said, “A nobleman was called away to a distant empire to be crowned king and then return. [13] Before he left, he called together ten of his servants and divided among them ten pounds of silver, saying, ‘Invest this for me while I am gone.’ [14] But his people hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, ‘We do not want him to be our king.’
Luke 19:13 KJV And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.
We are to OCCUPY the land Gad has put us in.
We are here to REPRESENT God's Kingdom.
[1 Thessalonians 4:11-18] Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we instructed you before. [12] Then people who are not Christians will respect the way you live, and you will not need to depend on others.
God wants us to be a BLESSING to the people around us.
[1 Thessalonians 4:9-10] But we don't need to write to you about the importance of loving each other, for God himself has taught you to love one another. [10] Indeed, you already show your love for all the believers throughout Macedonia. Even so, dear brothers and sisters, we urge you to love them even more.