WHILE WE WAIT (1 THESSALONIANS): Pursue Your Purpose

WHILE WE WAIT (1 THESSALONIANS): Pursue Your Purpose
Message Date: 3/3/24
Speaker: Pastor Matt Moore

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Things the world says:
*Winners never quit and quitters never win.
*Fake it till you make it.
*Just do what makes you happy.
*Follow your passion and success will follow

Follow your passion? This advice sounded great, but it assumed I had some predisposed passion that I was born with. I didn’t. So instead, I spent years searching for my passion, wasting valuable time and money. I didn’t find it, and it left me with heartache. Later on in life I realized that passion isn’t something you’re born with; it’s something you develop. I wish I had been given the advice to “develop your passion.” That would have been a life changer.

2 Peter 3:9

The Lord is not

in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

What do we do with ourselves while we

Reveal Answer

?

1 Thessalonians 2:17

But, brothers and sisters, when we were

by being separated from you for a short time (in person, not in thought), out of our intense longing we made every effort to see you.

Philippians 3:4-6

If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have

: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law,

.

Galatians 2:8-9
For God, who was at work in Peter as an apostle to the circumcised, was also at work in

as an apostle to the Gentiles. James, Cephas and John, those esteemed as pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship when they

the grace given to me. They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the circumcised.

When we follow God, He will develop our passion.

Ephesians 2:10
For we are God’s

, created in Christ Jesus to do good

, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

“What breaks your heart?”

1 Thessalonians 2:18-20
For we wanted to come to you—certainly I, Paul, did, again and again—but

blocked our way. For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you? Indeed,

are our glory and

.

Romans 8:28
And we know that in

things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his

.

1 Thessalonians 3:1-2
So when we could

it no longer, we thought it best to be left by ourselves in Athens. We sent Timothy, who is our brother and co-worker in God’s service in spreading the gospel of Christ, to

and encourage you in your faith…

2 Corinthians 12:7-10
Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a

in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is

for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am

, then I am strong.

It's going to take

Reveal Answer

. There will be

Reveal Answer

.

1 Thessalonians 3:3-4
…so that no one would be

by these trials. For you know quite well that we are destined for them. In fact, when we were with you, we kept telling you that we would be

. And it turned out that way, as you well know.

1 Thessalonians 2:18
For we wanted to come to you—certainly I, Paul, did, again and again—but

blocked our way.

Ephesians 6:12

For our

is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

What do we do while we’re waiting for Jesus to come back?

*We pursue the work He’s given us to do.
*We draw closer to Him listening to what He puts in our heart to find our purpose.
*As we pursue our purpose, He will develop our passion.
*We let Him define what success looks like.

Would you read the Bible Plan, Living Our Lives in the Light of Jesus’ Second Coming: 5 Day Bible Plan With William Porter, with us?

https://bible.com/p/65143750/a9018f4bf582c5373eae9fc73baac853