1 Thessalonians – Hopefulness: The Coming of the King, 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 night 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 was one high moment from last week? What was one low moment for 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:
“Hopefulness: The Coming of the King, Pt 1” | Christian Burkhardt, Elder & Equipping Pastor
Synopsis: Right after encouraging the Thessalonians to keep growing more and more in brotherly love (4:9-12), Paul shifted to give them hope concerning some of their brothers or sisters who had recently died (vv. 13-18). As they grieve, Paul wanted to make sure they do so with hope—a hope in Christ that sets them apart from those who do not believe (v. 13). Just as Jesus died and rose again, so Christians who die are assured of a future, bodily resurrection like Jesus’ (v.14). But whereas Jesus’ resurrection happened three days after his death, the resurrection of believers will happen when Jesus comes again (v. 16).
It seems that Paul was addressing a concern his readers had that those who died would miss out on the glory and celebration of Jesus’ Parousia – his kingly arrival from heaven. But Paul made it clear that those who die before Jesus’ return won’t miss out. They will be raised from the dead so that they can join the welcoming party first, before those who are still alive (vv.15-17)! All believers, both those who have died and those who are alive, will be reunited together to welcome our long-awaited King, “and so we will always be with the Lord” (v. 17).
Unfortunately, throughout the history of the church (and especially over the last few generations), many Christians have used this passage as fodder for speculation, debate, and even division over how it should be interpreted. It is important to study this passage carefully to understand what it teaches us about the return of Jesus. But as we do, we must remember that Paul’s main purpose in writing these words—and the Spirit’s main purpose inspiring them—was not for us to argue over them, but to “encourage each other” with them (v. 18).
QUESTIONS (20 Minutes)
As we deal with the realities of death as believers, how does this passage help us to make room for both grief and hope? Why is it important to hold these two ideas together? What problems might arise if we focus only on one or the other?
In v. 13, Paul speaks about a hope in death that those “in Christ” have, but that “others” (i.e., unbelievers) don’t have. How does this passage both comfort us when dealing with death as believers and motivate us to share the hope of Jesus with those who do not know him yet?
When thinking about life after death, it is common for many Christians to focus simply on the idea of going to heaven when we die. Indeed, several NT passages give us confidence that after death, we will be with the Lord (Luke 23:43; 2 Cor. 5:6-9; Phil 1:21-23), but that is not the end of the story! As this passage explains, the ultimate hope in death for Christians is a future bodily resurrection—to live with Jesus in renewed bodies, in a renewed creation, forevermore (see also John 5:25-29; 6:39-40, 44; Rom. 8:18-25; Phil. 3:20-21; 1 Cor 15). When you have thought about what it means to find hope in death, have you tended to focus more on the idea of going to heaven when you die or of a future bodily resurrection at the return of Jesus? Why is it important for our hope to be shaped by both realities?
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.