All of us have known people in our lives who once professed to believe the gospel and follow Jesus as their king but have now “fallen away” from the faith. Some of them have become strident atheists, others have opted for another religion, many now simply define themselves as one of the “nones,” without any religious beliefs or belonging whatsoever. Why do some people persevere, while others do not? This week, we turn to 1 Thessalonians 3 and hear Paul express his concern that the church he planted could have fallen away because of the afflictions that they endured. As we study Paul’s words, we’ll learn what it is that prevents people from enduring to the end and what ensures that they will.
This week, we begin a new summer sermon series in the book of First Thessalonians: “Waiting for Jesus.” Paul’s first letter to the church in Thessalonica tackles big questions that all of us still wrestle with today, some 2000 years after this letter was first written: How can we exist in a culture that does not understand or share our faith? How can we live with one foot in the kingdom of God and the other foot firmly planted in a world in which our desires are at war with one another? How can we long for the return of Jesus when so many other things of this world occupy our thoughts morning, noon, and night? Join us this week, as we consider Paul’s introduction (1 These 1:1-10) and his gratitude for the work of God in the life of this church he loves.
