Living With the Hope of Heaven (1 Thessalonians 2:11-19)
I. We should make it our aim to walk worthy of God vs. 12.
A. Clean up your act on the inside and the outside will take care of itself (Joel 2:12-13).
Turn unto me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and with mourning: and rend your heart and not your garments and turn unto the Lord your God: for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness and repents of the evil.
Look not on his countenance… for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart (1 Samuel 16:7).
B. Commit yourself to becoming like Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1).
II. We need to become fully committed to the word, the work & the will of God.
A Learn “how” to let God’s word work effectively in your heart vs. 13.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs (Colossians 3:16).
1. Let the word convict you, convince you conform you to its purpose.
2. Let the word empower you by obeying the word quickly, fully, “heartily.”
Whereunto I also labor according to his working which works in me mightily (1:9).
B. Put God’s work first in your life (Matthew 6:33).
1. Reaching people (1 Corinthians 9:19-22).
2. Building up people (Ephesians 4:29).
Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
C. Let the will of God transform your own personal will for your life (Romans 12:1-2).
III. Do not let Satan stop you even though he may hinder you vs. 18.
IV. Let the souls that are precious to God become precious to you. Let people become your hope, your joy, your crown and your rejoicing at the coming of Jesus Christ. Vs. 19.
I. We should make it our aim to walk worthy of God vs. 12.
A. Clean up your act on the inside and the outside will take care of itself (Joel 2:12-13).
Turn unto me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and with mourning: and rend your heart and not your garments and turn unto the Lord your God: for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness and repents of the evil.
Look not on his countenance… for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart (1 Samuel 16:7).
B. Commit yourself to becoming like Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1).
II. We need to become fully committed to the word, the work & the will of God.
A Learn “how” to let God’s word work effectively in your heart vs. 13.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs (Colossians 3:16).
1. Let the word convict you, convince you conform you to its purpose.
2. Let the word empower you by obeying the word quickly, fully, “heartily.”
Whereunto I also labor according to his working which works in me mightily (1:9).
B. Put God’s work first in your life (Matthew 6:33).
1. Reaching people (1 Corinthians 9:19-22).
2. Building up people (Ephesians 4:29).
Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
C. Let the will of God transform your own personal will for your life (Romans 12:1-2).
III. Do not let Satan stop you even though he may hinder you vs. 18.
IV. Let the souls that are precious to God become precious to you. Let people become your hope, your joy, your crown and your rejoicing at the coming of Jesus Christ. Vs. 19.