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Series: Ready or Not

1 Thessalonians 2:1-12

February 14, 2021

1You know, brothers and sisters, that our visit to you was not without results. 2 We had previously suffered and been treated outrageously in Philippi, as you know, but with the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel in the face of strong opposition. 3 For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you. 

4 On the contrary, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts.5 You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed—God is our witness. 6 We were not looking for praise from people, not from you or anyone else, even though as apostles of Christ we could have asserted our authority. 

7 Instead, we were like young children among you. Just as a nursing mother cares for her children, 8 so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well. 9 Surely you remember, brothers and sisters, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you. 

10 You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed. 11 For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, 12 encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.

Read 1 Thessalonians 2:1-3

  1. Read Acts 16 to get the background on Paul’s experience in Philippi. That experience did not deter him from sharing the gospel with the Thessalonians. Have you ever faced ‘strong opposition’ for sharing your faith? Or for merely having faith in Jesus? How did you respond?

  2. How does the opposition we encounter compare with Paul’s?

Read 1 Thessalonians 2:4-6

  1. Discuss what it means to be ‘approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel.’ In what ways do you feel equipped to be entrusted with the Gospel? In what ways do you feel inadequate to be entrusted with the gospel?

  2. In what ways do you fall into the trap of trying to please people rather than God? Why do you think this trap is especially dangerous?

  3. Why is it significant that God tests our heart? What are the implications of that for us today?

Read 1 Thessalonians 2:7-9

  1. Paul went beyond sharing a message to sharing ‘our lives.’ What does it look like to ‘share life’ with others? To what extent have you observed that happening in churches? What might it look like in our group?

  2. What are some of the ways we as Christians might unintentionally place a burden on those with whom we are sharing the message of Jesus? In view of Paul’s example, what must we do to lead people to faith in Jesus?

Read 1 Thessalonians 2:10-12

  1. Paul summarizes his care and leadership of the Thessalonian Christians with three words: encouraging, comforting, urging. Briefly discuss what these words mean in the context of helping someone grow in their faith. Are you more naturally an encourager, a comforter, or an urger? Who in your life has provided these things for you? How did they do it? This week, who can you encourage? Who can you comfort? Who can you urge?