Rev. Bryce Waller - July 21, 2019
1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
End Times Living - The subject of the “end times” never fails to excite and provoke curiosity among Christians. Even those unfamiliar with the Christian faith seem to have a certain level of interest in what Christians believe about the end of the world. Visions of fire and brimstone, mass chaos, angels, horses, and the other vivid word-pictures from the book of Revelation leave us wondering what we should expect when it comes to “the day of the Lord.” But what difference does our view of the end times make in our everyday experience right now? Should we be afraid? Worried? Move to Montana and build a shelter? In our passage this week, Paul answers these questions for the Thessalonian believers by giving them a picture of what life should look like for them and for us on this side of the Lord’s return.
From Series: "Waiting for Jesus"
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.