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FROM THE PASTOR'S STUDY

Topic: 1 Thessalonians Chapter One: Message Outlines (Include Audio)

1 Thess 1:2-5 (7)

by Darrel Cline
(darrelcline biblical-thinking.org)

Chapter # 1 Paragraph # 2 Study # 7
February 2, 2014
Dayton, Texas
(Download Audio)

(015)

Thesis:Hope is built upon commitments God has made and revealed to those to whom He wishes to give hope.

Introduction:In our previous studies, we have seen Paul's description of a remarkable church. In an extremely short period of time this church became an example to all other churches for the way it responded to the Gospel. Paul attributes this to the powerful work of God's Spirit. It was a work that was not repeated in all of the churches Paul planted. The nature of this work was to produce a reputation for the church for its "work of the faith; labor of the love; and endurance of the hope". It is my contention that this all boils down to the last of those three: the potency of the "hope".

Without "hope", the work of the faith will die. Without "hope" the labor of the love will cease. Of all things necessary for the continuation of the experience of the Joy of Life, "hope" stands as crucial. Therefore, we must take all of Paul's comments in this letter as encouragements to keep the hope alive.

That brings us to Paul's declaration in 1:4 that he knew that the Thessalonians had been chosen by God for their participation in the Hope that He brings into the heart. And that means that we need to be as clear as we can be about what it means to be chosen by God.


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