2 Thessalonians: God’s Eternal Plan to Save His People
COMMUNITY GUIDE
The Community Guide below is based on Sunday’s teaching for our series: The Book of 2 Thessalonians. As your whole Community gathers (online or in-person), use the Community Guide below to give shape to your time together.
Begin by Practicing the Lord’s Supper Together (5 minutes)
Begin your time by partaking of the bread and the cup together. Have each person bring their own Communion elements or provide elements for the group. To facilitate your time, you can either ask a member of your Community to come ready with a short prayer, scripture reading, or assign someone to read the Apostles Creed we’ve provided below. For those of you that may not be familiar with the Apostles Creed, it is a proclamation of faith that has been recited throughout the years and has often been used as an act of worship and reflection prior to receiving the Lord’s Supper. It is a proclamation of what we as followers of Jesus believe. After reading this ancient creed (aloud), spend a moment in silence before continuing:
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead. On the third day, he rose again from the dead. He ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty. From there he will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church (universal Christian church), the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
CHECK-IN (10 MINUTES)
As we focus on this series, we want to continue to create space for checking in on each other but doing so in a shorter amount of time. Take a few minutes to do a whole person check-in (emotional, spiritual, physical) with your Community, creating space for each person to answer the question below:
What’s something you’re looking forward to about the coming week? What’s something you feel anxiety or uncertainty about?
If the need arises, spend a few minutes praying for one another, asking God to meet needs and help each person carry what feels heavy right now.
Read this overview:
Paul obviously felt that the struggling Christians at Thessalonica still needed more encouragement. Their faith was shaken by the suggestion that they had already missed the coming of the Day of the Lord, and Paul had just finished explaining that they must not let themselves be deceived by anyone or anything. Certain events must occur before Jesus’ return, including that many would be deceived by the power of the “man of lawlessness”, for refusing to receive the love of the truth! The believers must have felt somewhat foolish and vulnerable (“Are we like them?”), and Paul wanted to address any doubts they may have had about the stability and genuineness of their faith.
His answer? “Pull back the curtain” and reveal that their faith was not just a random, recent experience, but a reason we ought to thank God! It is the inevitable outworking of the eternal choice of the Lord who loved them and chose them for Himself from the beginning. The almighty Spirit’s sanctifying work would bring about their faith in the truth as His plan unfolded in history. And the result was their salvation as they responded to the gospel – including the future hope of attaining the glory of the Lord Jesus! Instead of focusing on their weakness and questioning their faith, they can take comfort in the plan of God to save them, from eternity past to eternity future. They need to stand firm in their confidence in the truth, as learned from Paul. And his prayer for them, based on what the Father and Son have already given them, is that their hearts will be comforted and the living out of their faith will be firmly established in light of His grand plan.
QUESTIONS (20 Minutes)
This passage deals with some deep and sometimes controversial truths; we put forth our most earnest effort in presenting challenging truths as simply and accurately as possible. Was this the first time you have heard God’s choice (election) discussed? If so, what is your reaction to it? If you have heard it discussed, do you think this explanation was satisfying, confusing, troubling, or challenging? Why?
Paul wasn’t just in the mood to talk about God’s eternal plan; he was trying to solve a very practical issue. How can God’s eternal choice of His people provide comfort and stability to Christians who are struggling with their faith?
Let’s personalize the issue that the Thessalonian Christians faced: Have you as a believer ever been faced with very discouraging circumstances, causing doubts about the Christian faith, or about the reality of your faith in Him, or your desire or ability to serve Him? If so, where did you turn for comfort and resolution? To the strength of your own faith? Or to God and His eternal promises, as the objects of your faith? Or somewhere else?
Missionary Practice For The Week Ahead: BLESS (10 Minutes)
If you do at least one of these practices every day, you will not only become more like Jesus, but you will help others find Jesus too! In your time together as a community, ask the questions, “Who did you BLESS this week? This time of sharing will keep the Great Commission at the forefront of who we are called to be as followers of Jesus. It will also provide the opportunity to celebrate and encourage one another on the journey.
ᐅ B.L.E.S.S.
(B)egin with Prayer:
Pray for the people in your life and the places that you’re in.
People: Who do you live, work and play with that is far from God? Pray that God would create spiritual curiosity in them, and then spend time with them.
Places:
Where does pain exist here? Pray for healing.
Who makes the decisions here? Pray for integrity.
Who throws parties here? Pray for community.
Where are the pennies spent here? Pray for provision.
(L)isten:
Listen to and discover the needs of others and for the places where God is at work.
Before you can help others find Jesus, you need to listen to them first - their hopes, pains, challenges and dreams. In your interactions with others today, take the posture of a learner. Lay down assumptions and practice being present in conversations.
(E)at:
Share meals, drink coffee, and spend time with people in your life that don’t yet know Jesus.
Who can you eat with (or have coffee with) that is far from God? A co-worker over lunch? A neighbor during the day? A friend or family member over the weekend?
Is there a place that you regularly visit (coffee shop, gym, etc.)? Ask God to grant you opportunities to eat with people.
(S)erve:
Who can you serve this week? Who do you know that has a practical need? Ask them how you can help.
Before jumping into serving, have you taken the time to pray for, listen to and eat with these people? Doing these things first helps you discover the way that you really need to serve them.
(S)tory:
Share the story of Jesus and what He is doing in your life with others.
Start by sharing how God has blessed you and made a difference in your life.
Share your story in such a way that demonstrates that Jesus is also at work in their life.
Don’t feel like you have to tell your life story at once. Think “bite-size” stories.
Prayer (10 Minutes)
Spend a few minutes praying for God’s grace over each other, that we might become a people who make Jesus our Lord, and that there might be a sweeping renewal of the Holy Spirit in our city. Ask that God would stir up within us a desire to be with him in prayer and to serve him, one another, and our neighbor in love.