Steadfast

The Centrality of the Word & The Responsibility of the Church

September 11, 2022 • Ben Kimmell • 2 Thessalonians 3

In 2 Thessalonians 2, the apostle Paul prayed for the Thessalonians, and in this final chapter, Paul now requests prayer from the Thessalonians. He wants them to pray for the success of the gospel and the advance of God’s kingdom into new and uncharted areas as Paul and his team continue to take the gospel into new places. But not only does Paul ask for prayer for his own evangelistic efforts, but he also demands that the church itself submit to, and be shaped by, the authority of the gospel over their personal and corporate lives. The particular issue is one he’d already addressed in the first letter, dealing with people who are not working and who are living off the labor of other people. In this message, Pastor Ben follows the apostle Paul in urging the church to run to the world with the life-changing glory of the gospel of King Jesus.

Unbreakable

September 4, 2022 • Ben Kimmell • 2 Thessalonians 2

In 1 Thessalonians, it appeared that people were concerned about the return of Christ being too long delayed. They worried about their deceased loved ones and whether they might miss out on the blessings of Christ’s return. But it appears that some people either misinterpreted Paul’s response, or there had grown up false teachers in their midst who were now claiming that the Day of the Lord had already come. In 2 Thessalonians 2 the apostle Paul addresses this issue by instructing the new, immature Thessalonian believers on the events surrounding the return of Christ. In this message, Pastor Ben calls us to embody a mature Christian faith that is not easily shaken by the events around us or the future ahead of us.

Authentic Allegiance & Ultimate Justice

August 28, 2022 • Ben Kimmell • 2 Thessalonians 1

Paul writes this second letter to new believers at Thessalonica to encourage these suffering saints and help shape their minds to understand their present afflictions in light of God’s kingdom purpose and God’s coming justice. In this introductory passage, Paul encourages these suffering believers by celebrating their successes. And he also declares God’s ultimate justice which will make right all the wrongs they are suffering. In this message, Pastor Ben aims to help us reflect on what Paul points to as evidence of authentic Christian faith. We will celebrate our own successes and contemplate areas where our faith needs to continue to excel and our love continue to abound. And we conclude with reflections on God’s ultimate justice in Christ Jesus.

The Language of Christian Love

August 14, 2022 • Ben Kimmell • 1 Thessalonians 5:12–28

At the end of 1 Thessalonians, the apostle Paul provides some rapid-fire practical instructions on how to live a life worthy of God. He is instructing the Thessalonian believers on how to live in harmony in the context of gospel community. He addresses the church’s relationship with its leaders. He speaks to them in terms of how they are to manage themselves in the ongoing life of the church. And then provides instructions on how to order the corporate worship gathering before closing with warm instructions on how to treat each other as family. In this message, Pastor Ben walks us through Paul's closing instructions. In these verses, we will be encouraged to embody Christ’s love, Christian love, by revisiting the basics of Christian conduct. Here we will get back to Christian basic by reflecting on three fundamental themes of Christian conduct.

The Day of the Lord

August 7, 2022 • Ben Kimmell • 1 Thessalonians 5:1–11

In 1 Thess. 5.1-11, the Apostle Paul continues to unfold the implications of the return of Jesus for His people and their daily lives. Paul instructs these new believers be steadfast in their obedience to Christ in light of the inevitable and inescapable divine judgment that is coming upon the whole world. In this message, Pastor Ben presses us with the reality of God’s coming, eternal, and inescapable judgment and urges us to trust in Christ and walk in His word.

Christian Comfort

July 31, 2022 • Ben Kimmell • 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18

In this important passage on Christian hope, the apostle Paul points to the essence of the gospel to ground Christian believers with unshakeable hope even when faced with the most difficult circumstances of life. Though this text is a well-known and beloved passage, there have been some important misunderstandings associated with it as well. In this message, Pastor Ben shares Paul’s purpose in grounding Calvary Christians, perhaps grieving Christians, firmly in the unshakeable hope of Christ’s return. And along the way, we will offer some clarity around common misunderstandings associated with Paul's teaching on the end times.

Philadelphia

July 24, 2022 • Ben Kimmell • 1 Thessalonians 4:9–12

In 1 Thess. 4.9-12, the Apostle Paul calls for believers to be ever-increasing in practical acts of brotherly love. In this message, Pastor Ben summons Calvary Christians to increase in practical acts of Christian love by reflecting on three central dynamics of what we might describe as “philadelphia.”

God's Will for Your Life

July 17, 2022 • Ben Kimmell • 1 Thessalonians 4:1–8

In 1 Thessalonians 2, Paul summons believers to live lives worthy of the God who calls us into His kingdom and glory. In 1 Thessalonians 4, Paul offers three central demands of Christian disciples to live such worthy lives. In this message, Pastor Ben takes aim at the demand for sexual sanctification as central to Christian faith and practice. Here, he issues an urgent and impassioned plea for God's people to reject the chaotic culture of cheap sex and pursue God's purpose of sacred communion.

Worthy of God

July 10, 2022 • Ben Kimmell • 1 Thessalonians 2—3

In 1 Thess. 2 & 3, the apostle Paul defends the integrity of his ministry and encourages the Thessalonians to continue in their steadfast obedience. That was the purpose of this whole letter. But in chapters 2 & 3 we see one of the most intimate windows into the heart of the apostle Paul that we find anywhere in Scripture. This is a moving, and inspiring portrait of the heart of a Christian leader. In this message, Pastor Ben invites us to meditate on Paul’s apostolic authenticity and his affection for God’s people in addition to contemplating the nature of authentic biblical community.

Gospel Power

July 3, 2022 • Dwayne Searcy • 1 Thessalonians 1

In 1 Thessalonians 1, Paul encourages the new believers in Thessalonica through expressing unceasing thanks to God for his work of conversion, assurance, and for their steadfast hope under affliction produced by the Gospels’ Power. In this message Elder Dwayne Searcy encourages and challenges the church to imitate this example of faithful, persevering, and unshakable hope in Christ.

Calvary Baptist Church | Perry, FL

Letters to the Thessalonians