Bible Study – First Thessalonians 3 & 4

March 31st – Tuesday Morning Bible Study – 1 Thessalonians 3 & 4

Good morning, Bible Study people! Here is Lesson Two in the 1st and 2nd Thessalonians study. Grab your Bible or navigate another page to biblegateway.com and choose a translation. I read the NIV but you can read any version you want for this and if you get stuck it’s probably because I did this in the NIV and you’re seeing different words. Grace and Peace to you as you go through this with me. Here we go…

My prayer:

Lord Jesus, You know who has come to study online. You know what they’re here for, know what they need. So as we go through this, I ask You to reveal it and to fulfill it. Calm us all in Your so very closeness. In Your name, I pray. Amen.

Read 1 Thessalonians 3:1-5

This first 5 verses can confuse so easily. I think it would have been easier if Paul had just said “We longed to see you so much that we sent Timothy to find out how your faith was doing.”

And Timothy brings back an encouraging report:

Read 1 Thessalonians 3:6

Oh good. Can you hear the relief in Paul’s words here?

Timothy bought the good news about their __________ and _________ and told that in their memories of Paul they always ______________ and they also _________________ to see them just as Paul and his companions did for them.

Read 1 Thessalonians 3:7-8

Can you imagine his fear? That maybe they’d let go of the faith and no longer were believers. What a relief he must have felt to see it as encouragement to know those he loved were holding onto and growing their faith.

How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you? -1 Thessalonians 3:9 

Read 1 Thessalonians 3:9-10

Supply what is lacking in your faith. Do you know what is lacking in your faith? Spend some time thinking on this. What is lacking in my faith, Lord?

Read 1 Thessalonians 3:11-13

Those last three verses can be turned into a prayer. They’re practically a prayer like this. Maybe even a blessing.

Paul asks God himself and Lord Jesus to clear the way for _____ to ______ to _______. Longing. It’s all over this book.

May the Lord make your ___________ increase and _______________ for each other and for ___________________ else, just as _______ does for ______.

May he _________ your hearts so that you will be _________________ and ___________ in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord __________ comes with all his _________ ones.

Let’s keep going! This is so wonder-filled. Every verse.

Read 1 Thessalonians 4:1-2

What is the subtitle to this part of chapter four in your Bible?

_________________________________________________________________

“in order to please God.” This comes from Ephesians 5:

⁸ For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light ⁹ (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) ¹⁰ and find out what pleases the Lord.

Here Paul’s saying ‘we already instructed you how to live in order to _______ God.

Read 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8

Review verse 7-8:

God did not call us to be impure, but to live a _______ _______. Therefore… the very God who ______ you his _______ ________,

Back up to verse 3, It is God’s will that you should be _______________.

Galatians 5:22-24 NIV

²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. ²⁴ Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

According to Galatians 5:24, if you belong to Christ, you have ________________ your passions and desires. Have you? What are you passionate about these days? What do you desire? Are they evidence of Him living through you? 

Read 1 Thessalonians 4:9-12

When Paul is talking about brothers and sisters and family, he’s always referring to God’s family. He makes it quite clear when he’s talking about unbelievers.

Now about your ________ for one another we do not need to write you…. And in fact, you do _____________ all of God’s family throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do ____ more and ________.

So if you’re leading a holy and honorable life and you are displaying fruit of the Spirit, and love for the family of faith what does he say should be our ambition? To lead a __________ life: mind ______ own business and _______ with your hands, just as we told you, so that your _________ life may win the respect of ____________.

Read 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

We do not want you to be uninformed… 

For we believe that Jesus _______ and ______ again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus __________ who have _________ ________ in him.

Eschatology – the study of end time events. These words are meant to encourage. No believer will miss this. When Jesus returns He will make sure, no one misses it.

Let’s pray:

Father I thank You for this letter, it’s so full of beautiful words and great teachings too. It’s so encouraging. We thank You for the plans you have for all of us. We thank You for the excitement that awaits. We thank You for this book, this whole book, that You’ve given us to encourage and to teach us endurance. Come soon, Lord Jesus. And while we wait, Lord make our love increase and overflow for each other and for all of God’s family. Strengthen our hearts too so that we’ll be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when You, Lord Jesus come. Come soon, Lord Jesus. Amen.