Growing Pains I Thessalonians 2:13 -20

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Growing PainsI Thessalonians 213 -20

• Be Ready
• By Warren Wiersbe
• Chapter 4

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• Not easy to be a Christian in Thessalonica when
  believers face persecution and suffering.
• Affliction (16, 33) pressure from
  circumstances
• Suffered (214) same words used for the Lords
  suffering
• Persecuted (215) driven out and rejected
• Contrary (215) - used of winds that blows
  against and hinder progress
• Hindered (218) like a road so broken that
  travel is blocked

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• In the midst of suffering, the Thessalonica
  believers experienced joy
• 16 And ye became followers of us, and of
  affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost
• Jesus warned in John 1633
• In the world ye shall have tribulation but be
  of good cheer, I have overcome the world.
• Growing Pains?
• Facing persecution, religious and political as
  we share the Gospel to win the lost and glorify
  our Lord.
• We will suffer if we live godly life according to
  II Timothy 312.

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• Gods Word within us (213)
• The Same word that brings salvation also enables
  us to live for Jesus and endure for His sake.
• They appreciated the Word
• Received in Word of God, not word of men
• Bible is the Word of God inspired by Holy Spirit
  (II Timothy 316) and written by men of God who
  were guided by the Holy Ghost (II Peter 120, 21)
• Gods Word is holy, pure and perfect (Psalm
  197-9)
• The way a Christian treating the Bible shows how
  he regards Jesus Christ

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Jesus is the living Word (John 11, 14) and the
Bible is the Word of God, but they are the same
in essence.

• Jesus
• John 648
• John 812
• John 146
• Eternal Son
• Roman 125

• Bible
• Matthew 44
• Psalm 119105
• John 1717
• Word of God lives forever
• Psalm 11989 I Peter 123, 25

• Bread
• Light
• Truth
• Eternity

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• Gods Word
• Would you rather have your Bible the food?
• Job 2312 I have esteemed the words of His
  mouth more than my necessary food?
• Would you rather have Gods Word than money?
• Gods Word meant more to the psalmist than -
• all riches Ps. 11914
• thousands of gold and silver Ps. 11972
• fine gold Ps. 119127
• great spoil Ps. 119162

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• 3. Would you rather have Gods Word than
  sleep?
• 1. Ps. 119148 my eyes anticipate the night
  watches, that I may meditate on Thy Word
• They appropriate the Word
• v. 13 for the cause also thank we God without
  cursing, because when ye received the Word of
  God, which ye heard of us, you received not as
  the word of men, but as it is the truth, The Word
  of God, which effectually worketh also in you
  that believe.

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• First word means to accept from another
• Second word mean to welcome
• First, the hearing of ears
• Second, the heart of the heart
• Thessalonian believers heard the Word of God and
  made it part of their lives.
• Warning on hearing
• Wrong kind of hearing
• Matt. 139 who hath ears to hear, let him
  hear. It means take heed that you hear
• Matt. 424 Take heed what ye hear
• Luke 818 Take heed therefore how ye hear.
  itching ears (II Tim. 43) choose what to
  hear like religion entertainment, dull of hearing
  (Heb. 511), too lazy to apply and pay attention

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• How do we appropriate the Word?
• By understanding it and receiving it into our
  hearts and meditating on it to become part of the
  inner man. Meditation is the spiritual food
  like digestion to physical life.
• They applied the Word
• Be hearers and doers of the Word (James 119-25)
  Gods commandments are Gods enablement. When
  we believe Gods Word and obey, God releases
  power that works in our lives to fulfill His
  purposes.
• A man with withered hand
• The Word of God within us is a great source of
  power in times of testing and suffering

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• Appreciate the Word the heart
• Appropriate the Word the mind
• Apply the Word the will
• Gods People around us (214-16)
• Christians endure suffering because we are
  Christians. Thessalonica saints were imitation
  of Paul and Jewish believers in experiencing
  persecution.
• Jews killed Jesus as well as Romans. Mainly our
  sins that sent Jesus to the Cross (Isa. 536)
• No place in Christian faith for anti-semitism
• God called Israel to be a blessing to all the
  world (Gen. 1213 2218)

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• Why did the leaders of Israel reject Jesus Christ
  and persecute His followers?
• They were only repeating the sins of their
  fathers
• They were also filling up their sins (216) and
  storing up the wrath for the day of judgment.
• Paul encouraged the suffering Christians by
  assessing them that their experiences were not
  new or isolated. Instead, suffering Christians
  had been purified and increased as seen in Judea
• Benefits of
• Local church we stand together in times of
  difficulty and encourage one another
• Elijah
• Timothy
• A lonely saint is very vulnerable to attacks of
  Satan. Therefore, we need each other in the
  battles of life.

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• Gods Glory before us (217-20)
• taken from you orphaned (217)
• Paul desired to stay to help the Christians
  ground in the faith, but the enemy drove them
  out.
• He was still with them in heart (Phil. 17)
• Paul wanted to return but was hindered by Satan.
  He moved on and looked ahead, living in the
  future time, even though he lived in the present
  time as well.
• Paul looked ahead by faith and saw his friends in
  the presence of Jesus Christ in glory (heaven)
• Motivation we shall stand one day at the
  Judgment Seat of Christ motivate us to be
  faithful regardless of difficulties.

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• Judgment Seat of Christ I Cor. 42, II Cor.
  59-10, Rom. 1410-12
• Rewards as crowns in I Thessalonians
• Victors crown, not royal crown of the king at
  the race
• In I Thess. 219-20
• Crown? The believers he ministered
• We wait for his Son but while waiting we work
  for His Son so we have trophies to present for
  His glory
• Reward for soul-winner
• Daniel 123
• A Crown for the believers subdues his body and
  keep it controlled for the glory
• I Cor. 924-27
• Our bodies are the temples of God, therefore,
  dont defile them.

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• A crown for dying for his sake (Martyrdom)
• Rev. 210
• A crown for the believer who looks for Christs
  appearing crowning of righteousness
• II Tim. 48
• A crown of glory for the faithful pastors
• I Peter 54
• Instead of keeping for ourselves, we will lay
  down the crowns at His feet and worship Him Rev.
  410
• Our motive for serving Him is love, based on all
  Jesus has done for us. We will have rewards so
  we can have something to gain to Jesus in return.
• Due to intense persecution, some were attempted
  to give up. Dont give up for we have the
  resources to lay hold Gods Word within us,
  Gods people around us, and the Glory of God
  before you.