1 Thessalonians – Faithfulness: Boldness Redefined, Pt 1
COMMUNITY GUIDE
The Community Guide below is based on Sunday’s teaching for our new series: 1 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 read the passage we’ve provided below. After reading (aloud), spend a moment in silence before continuing:
While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” — Matthew 26: 26-30
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 was one high point and one low point this last week?
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:
In 1 Thessalonians 2:1-12, Paul continues recounting the history of his relationship with the Thessalonian believers by reminding them of the example that he, Silas and Timothy had set for them. Paul emphasizes not just what they did but why they did it: Their words and actions were not motivated by greed, flattery, deception, or any other insincere motives. They weren’t trying to bolster their reputations or throw their weight around as apostles. They were bold in their declaration of the gospel, but this boldness wasn’t shown in loud, bombastic, egotistical ways. Instead, their boldness was shown through gentle, sacrificial care for others, like a nursing mother with her own children. They worked hard so they could bear others’ burdens, rather than being a burden to others. They encouraged the Thessalonian Christians to “walk in a manner worthy of God” (v. 12), like a good father who encourages and trains his children toward maturity.
These family terms were more than just metaphors for Paul and his companions. They didn’t just view the church as being like a family. They believed the church truly is a family! Twice in this passage (and 18 times in the letter!), Paul refers to the Thessalonians as “brothers” (or “brothers and sisters”). He truly viewed them as siblings, because of their common adoption into the family of God through faith in Jesus. Paul and his companions were ready to share “not only the gospel of God but also [their] own selves” (v. 8) with the Thessalonians because they saw them as “brothers loved by God” (1:4), and they were committed to loving them too.
Finally, in verse 12, Paul reminds them that the family they’ve been adopted into is a royal family. God has called us “into his own kingdom and glory.” This kingdom is an “already/not yet” kingdom: Jesus already reigns as king at the right hand of God, and one day he will return to bring the fullness of his kingdom “on earth as it is in heaven.” Whatever family or nation you were born into, if you are a follower of Jesus, you have been born again into a new eternal family and given new citizenship in an eternal kingdom. We must embrace this new identity as God’s children and citizens of his kingdom, and we must devote ourselves to love and serve each other like the siblings that we truly are–not just for our own benefit, but also for the sake of our witness to those around us (see 4:9-12).
QUESTIONS (20 Minutes)
Do you believe that the family language Paul uses is not just metaphorical? In other words, do you believe that you and your fellow believers truly are forever family? Consider your group: How are you loving each other well as brothers and sisters? How could you grow in both your commitment to and love for one another?
How are you learning to embrace your identity as a citizen of God’s kingdom? How can we learn to be devoted to God’s kingdom while also seeking to be a blessing to the nation and community in which we live?
One of Paul’s main points in this passage is to remind the Thessalonians that he, Silas, and Timothy were leaders who were worthy of their trust and emulation. Think about the type of leaders you are drawn to (whether in politics, sports, business, or even the church). Do these leaders demonstrate the gentle boldness and sacrificial service that Paul, Silas, Timothy, and especially Jesus modeled? Do you think that this type of leadership can even get results in the “real world”? Why is this type of leadership so essential to the health of the church?
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.