Paying it Forward
1 Thessalonians 2:13-17
1. The Word of God is To Be Wholeheartedly Welcomed! (Vs. 13, 1 Pet 1:23, John 8:31-32)
a. 1 Peter 1:23, “because you have been born again—not of perishable seed but of imperishable—through the living and enduring word of God.”
b. John 8:31-32, “Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you continue in my word, you really are my disciples. You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.””
2. Suffering for the Sake of Christ Puts us in Good Company. (Vs. 14, Matt 5:11-12, 2 Tim 2:3-4)
a. Matthew 5:11-12, ““You are blessed when they insult you and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you because of me. Be glad and rejoice, because your reward is great in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
b. 2 Timothy 2:3-4, “Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in the concerns of civilian life; he seeks to please the commanding officer.”
3. Those Who Reject God:
a. Reject His Son. (Vs. 15, 1 John 2:22-23)
i. 1 John 2:22-23, “Who is the liar, if not the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This one is the antichrist: the one who denies the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father; he who confesses the Son has the Father as well.”
b. Reject His People. (Vs. 15, John 15:20-21)
i. John 15:20-21, “Remember the word I spoke to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. But they will do all these things to you on account of my name, because they don’t know the one who sent me.”
c. Aren’t Happy Alone. (Vs. 16, Rom 1:32)
i. Romans 1:32, “Although they know God’s just sentence—that those who practice such things deserve to die,—they not only do them, but even applaud, others who practice them.”
d. Have Imminent Condemnation Awaiting Them. (Vs. 17)