“A Description of an Exemplary Church” 1 Thessalonians 1:1-2:20

TRANSCRIPT

Date: May 29, 2022 Author: Wayne J. Edwards

Beloved, while I know these are difficult times in which to live, the fact is that God has chosen us to live in the most exciting times in human history as we watch the ancient prophecies of Scripture come to pass. While the rise in the spirit of the Antichrist is a bit unnerving, we can rejoice in knowing the Antichrist himself is not far behind, which means the rapture of the Church is even nearer, and please don’t let anyone disturb you about this, the Bride of Christ will never be under the authority of the Antichrist. I say this with absolute certainty: Those who have received Jesus Christ as their Savior and submitted unto Him as their Lord will not endure the wrath of God as described in Isaiah 13 and 24 and the judgments of Revelation 6-18. That is not to say that Christians will be spared from the Lord’s judgment upon the United States, for I believe His judgment upon us will continue to increase to the point that the way of life we once knew will be over forever, and the goodness of America will become a memory. However, I have a peace in my heart that more than cancels out any fear about the future, and I want you to know the source of that peace, for the truth of God’s Word has become the anchor of my soul. In 1 Thessalonians 5:9, the Apostle Paul assured his readers that God did not appoint us to endure His wrath which is to come upon those who rejected Jesus Christ as their Savior. In Titus 2:13, rather than watching for the signs of the wicked Antichrist, believers are to be “looking for the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ., ” That “blessed hope”  inspires me to continue to “warn every man, and teach every man in all wisdom, that I may present every man perfect in Christ.” We will explain this further in our new sermon series – “Steadfastness in Light of our Lord’s Imminent Return” – This sermon is entitled: “A Description of an Exemplary Church.”

Beloved, while I know these are difficult times in which to live, the fact is that God has chosen us to live in the most exciting times in human history as we watch the ancient prophecies of Scripture come to pass. While the rise in the spirit of the Antichrist is a bit unnerving, we can rejoice in knowing the Antichrist himself is not far behind, which means the rapture of the Church is even nearer, and please don’t let anyone disturb you about this, the Bride of Christ will never be under the authority of the Antichrist. I say this with absolute certainty: Those who have received Jesus Christ as their Savior and submitted unto Him as their Lord will not endure the wrath of God as described in Isaiah 13 and 24 and the judgments of Revelation 6-18.

That is not to say that Christians will be spared from the Lord’s judgment upon the United States, for I believe His judgment upon us will continue to increase to the point that the way of life we once knew will be over forever, and the goodness of America will become a memory. However, I have a peace in my heart that more than cancels out any fear about the future, and I want you to know the source of that peace, for the truth of God’s Word has become the anchor of my soul.

We will explain this further in our new sermon series – “Steadfastness in Light of our Lord’s Imminent Return” – This sermon is entitled: “A Description of an Exemplary Church.”

Download the following translated Sermon guides:

Old Testament Reading – Isaiah 43:1-13 – New Testament Reading – Titus 2:1-13

The two words that best describe the evangelical church today are:

According to recent surveys, while the majority of Christians still believe in the future return of Jesus Christ to this earth, they don’t think He will return in their lifetime, and that casual attitude is reflected in their worship of God and in their way of life.

While the Apostle Paul is credited with giving us the details of eschatology, in Revelation 1:1-3, 19:10, Jesus Himself said the preaching about His return was the solution to the apathy and apostasy of the Laodicean church age.

Thessalonica was originally named “Thermai,” meaning the place of the “hot springs.”

Paul’s description of an exemplary church:

The first priority of a pastor of a church is intercessory prayer, bringing the needs of his people before the throne of God.

I wonder how many congregations are spiritually anemic today, not because of their pastor’s lack of theology but his “kneeology!”

The second priority of a pastor is the proclamation of the gospel.

The Third priority of a pastor is to be a pattern for his people.

In 1 Thessalonians 2, the Apostle Paul described two groups of people.

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