Sermon Info
Summary
The apostle Paul encourages the church in Thessalonica to do three things: to be sanctified (holy), to grow in their love, and to live in light of eternity to come. As Christ-followers, our goal is to be conformed to the image of Jesus. This means saying “No” to the ungodliness of this world and saying “Yes” to living for Christ. We do this by loving God and others more, and the things of this world less. We must remember, through Jesus, we have eternal life in heaven. The best of our life is still to come. Always live with the hope of Jesus. Even in the tough times remember Jesus loves you, and He has an eternal home for you. Celebrate His goodness every day!
Content
What can you celebrate today?
Our lives tell our stories. How we live, what we do and say, the things that we prioritize – all of those different elements point to what is important to us. As we heard this past Sunday, what we celebrate represents what we value. What do you value? What is your life telling the people around you?
As we have been reminded throughout this series, celebration is essential, as it helps us to recall what's most important and what God has done in our lives. As Christians, we should be the ones celebrating the loudest and the most often! In turn, our celebration, our stories, and our words will point others to our Savior. So, let's continue to live in celebration, thankfulness, and joy.
What the Bible Says in 1 Thessalonians 4
As Christians, that name literally means, “little Christs.” God created us in the image of His Son, Jesus – Imago Dei. Therefore, as we live each day, our lives are intended to reflect our Creator, King Jesus. This is God’s will for us, and this is what Paul is articulating to the church in Thessalonica in 1 Thessalonians 4. He’s encouraging the church to be sanctified, to be made holy, in Christ. Though we all have temptations, as the Thessalonian church had temptations, we’re called to flee from sin and to be sanctified in every area of our lives.
Consequently, when we live lives that are sanctified, lives that are filled with love and lived in light of eternity, we celebrate and reflect God’s goodness. Paul encourages the church in reminding them that love is the distinguishing mark of a believer. Though we are called to live differently and may not always agree with others, we are still to live in love. Coupled with that is the calling to live with an eternal perspective. Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13). Our life here on earth can be different because we have hope of the promise of what’s to come. And what a beautiful promise that is!
Live with Hope
As a believer, our live are meant to look different than the world around us. It may be challenging, even frustrating and painful at times, but there is no better way than to live for Christ. Choosing to live for our King Jesus is worth it – every single time.
And how do we do that?
- Be sanctified.
- Grow in love.
- Live in light of eternity.
Saying no to the world and its pleasures, distractions, and desires is what living in this way will require. It’ll require us to pursue God and His purpose for our lives. It’ll cause us to live in faith and joy and courage.
No matter what we may face, we can know that this world is not our home. We can have hope, today, because we trust God is in control, and we know that heaven is our eternal home. And that is something to celebrate.
