Let’s Be That Church
1 Thessalonians 1:6-10
1. The Example of the Church is Worth Following When:
a. She Imitates the Lord. (Vs. 6 a, 1 Cor 11:1)
i. 1 Corinthians 11:1, “Imitate me, as I also imitate Christ.”
b. She is Not Deterred by Persecution. (Vs. 6 b, Psa 9:9-10)
i. Psalm 9:9-10, “The Lord is a refuge for the persecuted, a refuge in times of trouble. Those who know your name trust in you because you have not abandoned those who seek you, Lord.”
c. Her Faith is Shared. (vs. 8, Matt 5:16)
i. Matthew 5:16, “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.”
d. Her Lord is Singular. (Vs. 9, Deut 5:8-10)
i. Deuteronomy 5:8-10, “Do not make an idol for yourself in the shape of anything in the heavens above or on the earth below or in the waters under the earth. Do not bow in worship to them, and do not serve them, because I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, bringing the consequences of the fathers’ iniquity on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate me, but showing faithful love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commands.”
e. Her Eyes Are Fixed. (Vs. 10, Heb 12:1-2)
i. “Hebrews 12:1-2, “Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy that lay before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
f. Her Hope is Real. (Vs. 10b)