1Thessalonians 4:1
Outline:
I. \\#1:1\\ Salutation
II. \\#1:2-2:12\\ Remembering
A. \\#1:2-3\\ Remembering Their Devotion
B. \\#1:4-5\\ Remembering Paul’s Confidence
C. \\#1:6-10\\ Remembering Their Character
D. \\#2:1-12\\ Remembering Our Labor
III. \\#2:13-3:10\\ Knowing
A. \\#2:13-16\\ Knowing How the Gospel Changed Them
B. \\#2:17-20\\ Knowing How Much Paul Want to See Them
C. \\#3:1-5\\ Knowing Why Paul Sent Timothy
D. \\#3:6-10\\ Knowing How Thankful Paul Was for Timothy’s Report
IV. \\#3:11-13 \\ Desiring
A. \\#3:11-13\\ Desiring That God Would Establish Them
B. \\#4:1-12\\ Desiring That You Would Walk in Christ
V. \\#4:13-5:22 \\ Teaching
A. \\#4:13-18\\ Teaching about the Dead In Christ
B. \\#5:1-10\\ Teaching about the Day of the Lord
C. \\#5:11-22\\ Teaching About How We Should Live
VI. \\#5:23-28\\ Closing
IV. \\#3:11-13\\ Desiring
A. \\#3:11-13\\ Desiring That God Would Establish Them
B. \\#4:1-12\\ Desiring That You Would Walk in Christ
1. \\#1\\ The Thessalonians received from Paul and his group:
a. How to walk and to please the Lord.
b. Now Paul encouraged them to abound more and more.
2. \\#2\\ They knew the commandments Paul had given to them,
but he will list four in this chapter.
a. I saw five because I believe the first one is in
\\#3-8\\ even though it is not expressly listed as a
commandment.
b. After mentioning commands, the first thing Paul
discussed was to know and do the will of God.
c. Hence, I believe that is the first command.
3. \\#3-12\\ Five Commands:
a. \\#3-8\\ Know and do the will of God.
(1) \\#3\\ "your sanctification"
(a) Sanctification is a two-edged sword.
i. It is to separate yourself from the
world.
ii. While at the same time to dedicate
yourself to God.
(b) To take anything sanctified and use it for
other purposes, is to break the seal of
sanctification.
(2) \\#3\\ That you should abstain from fornication.
(a) Fornication can be use of either religious
or physical immorality.
(b) Since Paul did not elaborate on which he
meant, he probably meant Christians should
abstain from both.
(3) \\#4-5\\ That we should know how to possess our
vessel (body).
(a) The body is a powerful thing and like
powerful objects, those in charge must know
how to control them.
(b) We are to keep the body in sanctification,
away from sin and dedicated to God.
(c) We are to keep the body in honor, with
dignity, respect for the body.
(d) \\#5\\ Certainly not in the lust of
concupiscence.
i. Concupiscence is a big word to mean in
the desires and control of the flesh.
ii. The flesh will take control if we let
it!
iii. "as the Gentiles which have not known
God" - That’s how a lost person would
act!
b. \\#6-8\\ That no man defraud his brother in ANY
matter.
(1) \\#6\\ To defraud is to promise someone something
and not to deliver on the goods.
(a) God will take care of those who defraud.
(b) Paul said, "We have warned you of this," as
though this might have been a problem for
the Thessalonians.
(2) Why should we not defraud and why would God
avenge those who have been defrauded and why did
we warn you of this already?
(a) \\#7\\ Because has not called us to
uncleanness but to holiness.
(b) \\#8\\ Because defrauding (his topic) is an
act of despising a person, but to God, we
are despising Him.
c. \\#9-12\\ Three Commands, mentioned in verse 2:
(1) \\#9\\ Love one another.
(a) \\#9\\ They had already been taught this of
God.
(b) \\#10\\ They have already loved all the
brethren in all of Macedonia.
1Thess 1:7 So that ye were ensamples to all that
believe in Macedonia and Achaia.
8 For from you sounded out the word of the Lord
not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in
every place your faith to God-ward is spread
abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing.
(c) But now they needed to increase more and
more.
(2) \\#11\\ Study (work at)
(a) …being quiet.
(b) …minding your own business.
(c) …working with your own hands.
i. The Bible does not teach socialism
even among the brethren.
ii. It teaches every person to work and
then to share what you have with those
who lack.
(3) \\#13\\ Walk honestly to those who do not have so
that WE may not lack anything.
(a) The unstated concern is that if we defraud
and despise others, God may not provide for
us.
(b) It appears that God not only protects His
children from others, but that He also
protects others from His children.
V. \\#4:13-5:22\\ Teaching
A. \\#4:13-18\\ Teaching about the Dead In Christ
1. \\#13\\ Cause - To teach them what had and would happen
to those who had died.
2. \\#14\\ Condition - If we have believed that Jesus died
and rose again
3. Completion - Even so will Jesus bring them with Him.
4. \\#15-17\\ - Chronology
a. Generally - \\#15\\ The living will not go until the
dead have gone.
b. Specifically
(1) \\#16\\ The Lord will descend
(a) with a shout (probably by an archangel)
(b) with a trumpet
(2) The dead in Christ shall rise first
(3) \\#17\\ Then we who are alive will be carried
up into the clouds with them to meet the Lord
in the air.
1Cor 15:51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We
shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at
the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and
the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we
shall be changed.
53 For this corruptible must put on
incorruption, and this mortal must put on
immortality.
5. \\#18\\ So comfort one another.
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