The Blue Church

The Last Days!  What happens next?   Life Lessons from Four Apostles   Pleasing God How should we live as we await Christ’s Return? 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12               In his book, What’s Wrong With the World?,”  G. K. Chesterton wrote, “The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting, but found difficult, and left untried.” Those words could have been written yesterday, for they perfectly describe our generation. Paul wants believers not to be ashamed to face the Lord when He returns, and so he reminds them of His teaching on how to please God. The directions are not unclear, often, just untried.

The Last Days!  What happens next?   Life Lessons from Four Apostles   Faith: The Fruit of Christ-Centered Ministry What is the “new normal” for those who follow Jesus? 1 Thessalonians 2:13-16               Paul has thanked God for the Thessalonians (1:2) and now he thanks God for their faith. Paul has told us that his ministry among them was a success (2:1), and why (2:2-12): because His message was bold, his motives pure, his methods compassionate and his model (example) authentic. But what was the end of Paul’s labor? Joy-producing, courageous faith that God rewards.

The Last Days! What happens next?   Life Lessons from Four Apostles   Working, Witnessing, Waiting. . . and Suffering A Church Majoring in Faith, Hope, and Love 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10   When the evidences of God’s spirit are clear. . . (vv. 1-3)               Paul gives thanks for these believers because he sees the effects of conversion in them. In spite of great opposition and persecution, their faith produced works motivated by love, a reality that was kept alive because of the conviction of hope they had in Jesus. He had saved them, and now they were living in the promise of His return. This is not the hope of wishful thinking, but full conviction that God will keep His promises both now and in the future. See Hebrews 6:10-12.

The Last Days! What happens next?                                     Life Lessons from Four Apostles                                                                         Last Days, Last of the Last Days, or Just Any Day? Hebrews 1:2   What do we know about “The Last Days” from history?               Hundreds of end-of-the-world predictions have been wrong.             In spite of repeated folly, the end-is-near prophecies continue.             Unbridled speculation about the future fosters fear and chaos.