Thessalonians - South Union Baptist Church

Motivating Correction

February 3, 2021 • Pastor Chad Thompson

The young church in Thessalonica had a problem with some of her members loafing and not working. It wasn't a matter of not being able to work; it was a matter of not being willing to work. Paul expected the church to come together in solving this problem. To assist them in the task, he gives four motives to encourage the careless believers to turn from their sin and start earning their own wage.

Responsibilities With God's Truth

January 27, 2021 • Pastor Chad Thompson

Paul contrasts Satan’s big lie with God’s truth and teaches us about four responsibilities we have toward the Truth of God’s Word: believe it, guard it, live it, and share it.

Not Yet

January 13, 2021 • Pastor Chad Thompson

Someone posing to be Paul, had written a letter to the believers in Thessalonica stating that the Tribulation had already started. The believers were instantly shaken in faith and became troubled in spirit. To calm their hearts and shaken faith, Paul explained that they were not in the Day of the Lord. The reason was simple: that Day could not arrive until certain other events had taken place. There were sure and clear signs that the Tribulation was not taking place. Paul in essence gives them logic so they can draw a logical conclusion: Event "A" must precede event "B," since event "A" has not yet occurred, then event "B" (in this case the Tribulation) could not be occurring.

Encouragement For The Saints

January 6, 2021 • Pastor Chad Thompson

Paul knew that the believers in Thessalonica were undergoing some very difficult hardships from pressures on the outside and confusion from within. He sought to encourage them in three ways: praise, promises, and prayer.

The Basics

December 9, 2020 • Pastor Chad Thompson

As Paul wraps up his first letter to the Thessalonians, he ends by reminding those at Thessalonica to do the basics (fundamentals) when it comes to respecting spiritual leaders, loving brothers and sisters in the church, and glorifying God.

The Great Contrasts

December 2, 2020 • Pastor Chad Thompson

Paul had assured the Thessalonians in 4:13-18 that the dead in Christ will rise and we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet Jesus. Now in 5:1, Paul continues to talk about end time events but his focus shifts from the rapture of the church to the “day of the Lord.” The subject is similar but different. The key difference in what he has to say here is not so much "when" these events take place but the "whom" that is involved. The big difference here is that the rapture deals with the saved and the “day of the Lord” is going to impact the lost. Paul seeks in this section to contrast the differences between the saved and lost in terms of how we view the second coming of Christ. How Christians view the second coming and how the lost world views the second coming are totally different. How each group will be impacted by the second coming will be totally different. There is great contrast.

Jesus Is Coming

November 11, 2020 • Pastor Chad Thompson

The return of Christ was something that the Thessalonian believers were looking for. They believed it could happen at any moment and they had questions in regards to their loved ones that had passed on: what if the Lord should return? Would their deceased loved one be handicapped in any way? Would they be left out of the rapture all together, i.e. did they miss it and its presumed blessings? Will those who are alive at His coming have an advantage over the believers who have died? So Paul writes to say, “Hey, I don’t want you to be ignorant, misinformed, uninformed…” Paul took time to answer these questions. He based his encouragement and comfort on five fundamental facts. 1) We have God's Word 2) Christ is coming 3) The dead in Christ will rise 4) Living believers will be raptured 5) Christians will forever be with the Lord

Take A Walk

November 11, 2020 • Pastor Chad Thompson

The Christian life can be compared to a walk. Paul often used this picture: “Walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called” (Eph. 4:1); “walk not as other Gentiles walk” (Eph. 4:17); “walk in love” (Eph. 5:2); “walk as children of light” (Eph. 5:8). The Christian life begins as a step of faith and then turns into a walk of faith. (cf. 2 Cor. 5:7) “For we walk by faith, not by sight.” Walking suggest making progress. Our Christian walk should show us progressing in our faith, in our love, in our holiness, in our maturity, etc. Paul teaches the Thessalonians about a threefold walk: we are to walk in holiness, harmony, and honesty.

Establishing The Saints

October 28, 2020 • Pastor Chad Thompson

In chapter 3 Paul explains three ministries that he performed to help the Thessalonican believers become more firmly established in their new found faith. He sent them a helper. He wrote them a letter. And He prayed for them.

Resources For Suffering And Persecution

October 21, 2020 • Pastor Chad Thompson

Paul shares with the believers at Thessalonica the resources they have to draw upon when they find themselves in the midst of suffering and persecution. These resources are available to us also: God's Word in us, God's people around us, and God's glory before us.

Helping Believers Grow

October 14, 2020 • Pastor Chad Thompson

Paul's heart was for the believers at Thessalonica. He had established the church, and he wanted to see the believers growing in their faith and walk with God. In chapter 2:1-12 we see three pictures of Paul that show how Paul was invested in seeing these believers grow. We see him act as a faithful steward, a loving mother, and a concerned father.